Product: Answerables (http://nexed.com)
By David Kapuler
Retail Price: free
Answerables is a 3D virtual world for students designed to create responsible digital citizens in a “gamified” Learning Management System.
Quality and Effectiveness
Answerables is a great resource to be used in an educational setting, supporting COPPA compliance and providing innovative ways to enhance learning. It combines the best of an LMS with game-based learning to create a unique, fun, and safe environment for kids.
Ease of Use
Answerables is very easy to use and install but does have some system requirements. A PC needs to be running WindowsXP or higher with a 200 GHz processor, 1.5 GB of RAM and 300 MB of free disk space. A Mac needs to be running OSX 10.6 or higher, with at least 1.8 GHz Intel Core 17 processor. There are lots of video tutorials, an excellent FAQ section, and email support to make Answerables a success in an educational environment.
Creative Use of Technology
This is where Answerables really stands out from other similar technologies. Answerables reminds me of a kid-friendly version of Second Life designed specifically for education. Answerables can “house” anything a standard LMS can in their virtual world such as: assignments, videos, websites, etc. It uses top-of-the-line technology to allow educators to “gamify” a lesson and even differentiate instruction.
Suitability for Use in a School Environment
Answerables is a nice tool that can be used to teach any curriculum or subject and works well within a school’s filtered network. There are many video tutorials to help educators integrate it into a classroom setting.
Top features:
- COPPA-compliant virtual world
- Innovation: Game Based Learning meets LMS
- Ideal for differentiated instruction and Guided Learning
David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com
