In addition to the flashcards, learners watch videos that explore the states in greater detail. The Videos button on the app’s main screen brings up a playlist of just 20 videos for the states whose names begin with A through M (the developer had only created the first 20 videos at the time of this review), while the Videos button on each state’s flashcard brings up a unique page on the developer’s website with random videos from diverse sources. Keep in mind there are in-app ads, including pop-ups and the More Apps button that takes kids to the Google Play store.
Again, don’t use the videos unless you’ve viewed them first. The developer-produced videos are less detailed but more consistent, but only 20 have been produced, while the others are from a range of sources and might have iffy content. Have kids browse states and create their own quizzes or trivia games based on these facts, especially the state capitals and dates of statehood.
The simple progress tracking in the quizzes is terrific. Colored dots across the top of the screen track right and wrong answers, and kids always have a good sense of how they’re performing on the quiz. It would be even better if kids could store high scores and adjust their studying as a result. The videos are an interesting value-add, and it’s nice that they’re hosted on the developer’s website rather than taking up space on the device. Unfortunately, this feature is uneven. Check these videos before you let learners view them: Some are more classroom-appropriate and detailed than others, and many contain ads. Meanwhile, navigating the states’ flashcards from the map screen can be buggy and inconsistent, and tapping the map doesn’t yield the response users might expect. Browsing the states’ flashcards one by one from the alphabetical list on the Learn screen is the best bet.
At the time of this review, some features that appeared in earlier versions seem to be missing. For example, there’s no Settings menu to adjust the info tested on each quiz; this option could be a helpful way to target study of particular facts, like postal abbreviations or state capitals. Overall, 50 States is a neat way to browse basic information about U.S. states, but look elsewhere for greater depth and flexibility.
Website: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.socratica.mobile.fiftystates
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RBNQU4?tag=comsenmed07-20
Overall User Consensus About the App
Student Engagement
Geography buffs won’t find much to explore, and less-excited learners won’t have their interest piqued by such limited resources.
Curriculum and Instruction
Ten-question quizzes have nice built-in progress tracking for right and wrong answers, and it’s easy to search and browse the states’ pages.
Customer Support
The interface can respond inconsistently, and some customization options seem to have been omitted with later updates. More guidance on how to use the quizzes and videos would be a big help.
