Digital Tools Rating Rubric

Name of the App: Accents Keyboard Add-On

3 = Ideal 2 = Acceptable 1 = Unacceptable

Age Appropriateness All targeted skills are Targeted skills are Targeted skills are not
age appropriate. mostly age age appropriate.
appropriate.
The IPA alphabet is
geared towards the
ESOL population and
their parents.
Cost It’s free or offers a There’s a small There’s a big monthly
free version without monthly or annual or annual fee.
ads or in-app fee.
purchases.
It’s free.
Motivation All students will be Most students will be Students will not be
engaged and will engaged and will engaged nor want to
want to revisit the want to revisit the revisit the site.
site. site.
Once it’s installed, it’s
unlikely that the
intended audience
will uninstall it.
Compatibility It works across all It works across most It is not compatible
platforms (electronic platforms (electronic with many platforms
devices and devices and (electronic devices
browsers). browsers). and browsers).
This add-on is
created for Google.
Feedback It offers meaningful It offers meaningful It does not offer
feedback to both feedback to students meaningful feedback
students and or teachers. to students or
teachers. teachers.
This add-on just
offers a library of
symbols.
Connected to It’s aligned to the It’s aligned to the It’s not aligned to the
Standards State’s and National State’s or National State’s or National
standards, and it’s standards, and it’s standards, nor is it
updated regularly. updated regularly. updated regularly.
It’s not aligned.
Differentiation It’s individualized to It’s individualized to It’s not individualized
all learners. most learners. to the learners.
Symbols for
currencies and
languages are found.
Effectiveness The app improves The app improves The app doesn’t
deficits in all deficits in most improve deficits in
learners. learners. the learners.
It’s not a teaching
tool.

Instructional Features It combines a range It combines a range It does not combine a

of instruction from of instruction from range of instruction.
memorization to HOT memorization to HOT No, it does not.
skills with games. skills.
User Friendly It’s easy to use, offers It’s easy to use and It’s not easy to use,
online support, and offers online support nor does it offer
has tutorial videos. or tutorial videos. online support or
It’s user-friendly and I tutorial videos.
was able to find
tutorial videos.
Diversity The images and The images and The images and
stories appeal to all stories appeal to stories don’t appeal
students of different most kids of different to kids with different
ethnic backgrounds. ethnic backgrounds. ethnic backgrounds.
The symbols are
diverse.
Saves Data Students can exit Students can exit a Students can’t exit a
without losing work section after every 5 section until all work
completed in that problems completed is completed within
section. within it. it.
As long as you save
your work, you’re
good.
Collaborative Students have the Only teachers can Students don’t have
option to build enable collaboration the option to work in
collaborative groups between students. groups and share
and share ideas. ideas.
It’s collaborative if
students are working
on a shared
document.
Rewards The app creates The app creates a The app doesn’t
 certificates of certificate of mastery create a certificate of
mastery for for mastery of the mastery.
completed skills. course. No, it doesn’t offer
one.

What are the grows and glows of the app? This is a niche add-on. It received a digital rating
score of 1.9, which is slightly less than acceptable. Therefore, I wouldn’t recommend it for
everyone. But, I would recommend it for my ESOL population.

Works Cited

Lubniewski, K. L., McArthur, C. L., & Harriott, W. (2018). Evaluating instructional apps using the
app checklist for educators (ACE). International Electronic Journal of Elementary
Education, 10 (3), 323-329.

Ohio Center of Autism and Low Incidence. Educational App Evaluation Rubric.
https://www.ocali.org/up_doc/ho_3_pp-rubric3.pdf?1557548866

Vincent, T. Educational App Evaluation Checklist. http://static1.squarespace.com/

static/50eca855e4b0939ae8bb12d9/50ecb58ee4b0b16f176a9e7d/50ecb593e4b0b16f1
76aa976/1330884481041/Vincent_App_Checklist.pdf