Several studies underline how teachers’ beliefs towards the various EdTech Apps play an important role in successfully integrating technology in the classroom. However, most of these researches focus on offering future suggestions and recommendations for integrating educational technology, ignoring the existing knowledge teachers have gained in using technological tools because of the pandemic period.
The Edtech Apps survey
For this reason, we conducted a quantitative survey that gathered the “100 best EdTech Apps” that teachers use to enhance their work. Thus, participants from all over Greece and Cyprus voted for the software they use in their own practice. Through their choices, a comprehensive guide of EdTech Apps was created. This guide can be really handy for you as you can use it to discover the digital tools teachers use in their work and explore some Edtech tools that you have never heard of but may suit your own needs.
123
EdTech Tools
18
Categories
1
Vote per category
182
Participants
The EdTech tools were divided into 18 categories based on their scope of application. Teachers could vote for a single tool per category and even add their own suggestions. Some of the tools proposed could fall into more than one category due to the multiple functions they offer. So, in order to keep the research within a reasonable range, we assigned each tool to a single category based on its main characteristic.
Survey Results
Presentations
Microsoft’s PowerPoint is the undisputed winner in this category, with 63.7% (110 votes). Some consider PowerPoint a bit outdated with modern standards, but nevertheless, this is what teachers prefer when creating Presentations.
Votes: 174
Video-making
OpenShot managed to get first place in this category (27.8%, 40 votes). OpenShot is a free video creation tool that has nothing to envy from commercial applications (well ok, maybe the limited support). A paid, commercial and much more powerful tool compared to OpenShot, Adobe’s Premiere Pro got 2nd place (22.2%, 32 votes).
It is also worth mentioning, the teachers suggested 18 different Applications (!) for creating videos.
Votes: 144
Animated Videos
This section explored the various software for creating animated videos. Obviously, the options suggested in this section can also be used to develop “classic” videos, but our interest was focused exclusively on creating animated videos.
Thus, in this category, PowToon came first ( 41.3%, 62 votes), next came Animoto (28%, 42 votes), while our favourite choice, CreateStudio Pro, came third (14.7%, 22 votes).
Votes: 150
Interactive Content
We included software with multiple functionalities in this category, such as creating presentations, quizzes, etc. Their common feature is that the final product enables users to interact with the content the user develops.
So, first out of 168 votes came Wordwall with 28.6% (48 votes). Next came Canvas (19%, 32 votes) and Genial.ly (17.9%, 30 votes).
Votes: 168
Sharing / Showing videos
There’s not much I can comment about the results here. Most educators clearly choose YouTube (77.4%, 130 votes) to share and present educational videos to their students.
Votes: 168
Polls
This category has its own undisputed winner. Most educators prefer using Google Forms (65%, 112 votes) to create surveys. The excellent Mentimeter took second place with 21.2% (32 votes).
Votes: 170
Gamified Students' Response System
Votes:160
Classroom Management System
Teachers seem to use a variety of Classroom Management tools.
The most popular choice was Moodle (26.9%, 42 votes). Second, came Google Classroom (21.8%, 34 votes). Right behind them was Class Dojo (19.2%, 30 votes).
Votes: 156
Comic
There’s not much to say here too. Teachers overwhelmingly chose Pixton with 68.9% (102 votes) as the best tool for creating comics, leaving the rest of the choices struggling for a place in the sun.
Votes: 148
References
Results were pretty close in this category. Google Scholar cut the line first with 44.6% (74 votes), followed closely by the online open encyclopedia Wikipedia with 42.2% (70 votes).
Votes: 166
Video-conference
Teachers’ favourite software for conducting video conferences is Zoom (46%, 80 votes), while Webex, used primarily in public schools, received a respectable 37.9% (66 votes).
Votes: 174
Text Editor
Choosing the most popular Text Editor was apparently not debatable.
Microsoft’s Word had a landslide victory with 74.7% (130 votes), while Google Docs finished in second place (16.1%, 28 votes)
Votes: 174
File Management / File Sharing
In this case, Google was clearly the winner. Drive (85.1%, 148 votes) was the most popular choice, followed by Dropbox (8%, 14 votes).
Votes: 174
Screen Recorder
Teachers proposed 12 different software in this category. In any case, Screencast-O-Matic won emphatically, securing 44% (66 votes), while Camtasia (17.3%, 26 votes) and Loom (13.3%, 20 votes) took second and third place, respectively.
Votes: 150
Browser
Google’s software won again. Google Chrome is the favourite browser for most teachers (78.2, 132 votes), followed by Mozilla Firefox (18.4, 32 votes)
Votes: 174
Professional Development
Teachers seek professional development at several platforms. The most popular is LinkedIn Learning leading at 29%, followed by Coursera at 23.2%
Votes: 138
Instant Messaging / Chat
Viber is the most common app that teachers utilise to directly contact their students or other educators with 78.3% (130 votes). Surprisingly, Facebook Messenger came second with just 9.6% (8 votes).
Votes: 168
Congratulations, you have reached the end of the post =)
Remember: Technology is not a solution that can counter all problems found that one encounters when teaching. As the TPACK model underlines, a combination of content knowledge, pedagogical approaches and the proper selection of technological tools are needed to achieve the best results for your students.
See you next year with the updated version of this guide.