Giovanna Perrone
February 8, 2008
SEYS 753

Assignment #1- Review of a Web 2.0 or open source application

1.      Short description of the Web 2.0 application or open source software application:

I reviewed a Web 2.0 application that is an assessment tool for educators, located at http://yacapaca.com/. Yacapaca is a website for teachers to create quizzes, surveys, tests, and eportfolios. It’s also a site to modify and share assessments with other colleagues that are members of the site. Teachers can also assign work for all of their classes within minutes.

 2.      Describe the target audience for this software.

The target audience for this website is teachers with students signing on to answer assignments.

3.      What is the purpose of this software? How does it work?

The purpose of this software is to allow teachers to set up classes, assign assignments, tests, quizzes, and simplify administrative work. Each student is given a screen name and password where they can log on and complete the assignments that the teacher has posted. The teacher can keep track of who has completed the assignment, assign a deadline date to complete it, and see how many student attempts were needed to complete the assignment successful. Everything is automatically graded.

4.      Describe the user interface. Is it easy or difficult to use? Why or why not?

The user interface can be a bit overwhelming for a first time user. A lot is available for the user to utilize but it’s not abundantly clear how to accomplish everything. The website does offer help guides, such as short video instructions, but those themselves are hard to discover. After spending some time with the site, however, you can learn the nuances and utilize the shortcuts offered by tabs at the top of the screen to simplify assigning work.

5. Technical requirements.  Does it work on Windows, Apple and Linux?  Are there minimum memory requirements, software that needs to be installed?

Nowhere on the site does it list any requirements. It does not specify if any operating systems are more beneficial than others. I navigated the site on a Windows XP Home Edition SVP 2 and did not require any additional installations (such as plug-ins). Internet connectivity is a given.

6. What browsers does it work with?  Does it require Javascript, Java, ActiveX, Flash, Shockwave or plugins

The site, once again, does not list which browsers are necessary and/or which are more compatible with the site. I navigated the site with Mozilla Firefox. No additional downloads were necessary.

7. What are the strengths of this software application?

First and foremost, the site is free. As a free tool, it offers a bevy of features that will not only simplify administrative tasks for teachers but also provide an easy, interactive way for students to complete assignments and check tasks. For example, some assignments are interactive questionnaires. The teacher can print out individual labels with the Yacapaca logo with the students’ username and password. When the students log on to the site they can personalize their profile by selecting a picture with their name. Teachers can assign homework, quizzes, and tests by only the selected options given.

8. What are the weaknesses of this software application?

The biggest weakness is that teachers cannot upload their own material. They must use the available online material the site offers for their classes. While this may be fine for some instructors, Earth Science teachers, among other subjects, will be at a loss since there are no materials devoted to Earth Science. While what the site has uploaded is helpful, it’s impossible to have every subject listed. Therefore, the option of uploading personal material should be necessary.

9. Provide at least three examples of how you might use this in your science teaching.

• I would assign most of the students’ work on this site because this is a fun, interactive way for students to do their homework. As students log on, they’ll be presented with a list of assignments that they must complete. By setting their own targets, students are given a way to strengthen their own self-regulating skills. This fun and interactive way to complete their assignments provides helpful hints and reinforcements for the students.
• When teachers are logged on, they can see which students have or have not completed their assignments (or if they are in process of doing so). Teachers can see how many attempts the students made to complete their work and it also allows the teachers to see the final grade of the quiz or test that was assigned to the student
• When a teacher becomes a member of an author group, they can assign each student with a project to create an eportfolio. They can upload files, use HTML, and create new cards of their own. When a portfolio is finished it may be permanently locked for moderation or it may be saved to a standalone website on CD-ROM.

10. Any other comments.

After many hours of use on this site, I still find it more difficult than it should be to use. It is also not helpful, at all, for Earth Science teachers. There’s an abundance of Biology, Physics, and Chemistry material available, but there’s no option to upload material (which would be useful for topics that are lacking—like Earth Science).