Call for submissions: new government quality seal for learning apps

The quality seal for learning apps is a proof of quality for digital mobile learning applications that have undergone a standardised evaluation and certification procedure. It is awarded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) and will be used as of now.

“With the quality seal for learning apps the fifth point of the 8-point plan for the digitisation of Austrian schools has been achieved. It is intended to provide teachers, pupils and parents/legal guardians with orientation and assistance in selecting innovative products that are already on the market,” the BMBWF’s head of section, Iris Rauskala, is convinced of the benefits of the award.

The call, which was launched on 13 September, was preceded by an intensive pilot phase. Seven app developers went through the certification procedure and will now receive the quality seal from the BMBWF for two years. The certification procedure was developed by the education agency OeAD and provided with initial funding by the Foundation for Innovation in Education (ISB) as partner and initiator.

“The OeAD as an education agency looks back on many years of experience in Austria in peer review and quality assurance procedures. It is therefore important for us to involve teachers as evaluators who will evaluate the use in a practical way across different types of schools. There will be a separate pool of experts for this purpose,” emphasises Jakob Calice, the OeAD’s managing director and chairman of the Foundation for Innovation in Education. Feedback from the pupils will also be included in the evaluation of the results.

At https://guetesiegel-lernapps.at you will find the seven learning apps that have been awarded the quality seal for learning apps by the BMBWF. One of these learning apps is the GeoGebra Calculator Suite, a free dynamic mathematics software for teachers and learners of all ages.

“With the GeoGebra learning app we want to support the meaningful use of digital devices from the 5th grade onwards, especially in mathematics lessons. At the JKU Linz we are developing illustrative learning materials together with experienced teachers. These learning materials provide automatic feedback and enable individual practice. The materials are available free of charge and are constantly developed further,” says the developer of GeoGebra, Markus Hohenwarter, JKU Linz/Department of STEM Didactics.

What is a learning app?

A learning app is a digital tool that supports learning within the context of school lessons and independent, interest-based learning by enabling pupils to use mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets to work on, practise, deepen, revise, structure or apply learning content and pursue their own areas of interest, independent of time and place.

Submission

To be admitted to the certification procedure and to be considered for the quality seal for learning apps a learning app must correspond to the above definition. Moreover, it must be available for both iOS (in the App Store) and Android (in the Play Store), it must be GDPR-compliant and it must not contain advertising (see: “What is a learning app” at https://lernapps.oead.at).

A learning app can either be submitted for certification by app developers or recommended by users via a special web form. The quality seal is valid for two years and can be reapplied for as often as desired through recertification.

App developers can submit their learning apps for certification between 13 September 2021 and 15 October 2021: https://lernapps.oead.at/de/app-entwicklerinnen

Evaluation according to pedagogical criteria

A core element of the certification process is the evaluation by teachers according to pedagogical criteria. Interested teachers can obtain information and apply at https://lernapps.oead.at/de/evaluatorinnen throughout the year.

Detailed information about the certification procedure is available at https://lernapps.oead.at/de/zertifizierungsverfahren.

Enquiries and contact:

OeAD – Agency for Education and Internationalisation
Mag. Ursula Hilmar
+43 1 53408-270
presse@oead.at
www.oead.at

Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Mag. Debora Knob 
+43 1 53120-5026
debora.knob@bmbwf.gv.at
www.bmbwf.gv.at

Prof. DI Mag. Dr. Dr.h.c. Markus Hohenwarter
JKU Linz, Department for MINT Didactics
+43 664 2113840
markus.hohenwarter@jku.at

To the press photos (APA photo service): https://www.apa-fotoservice.at/galerie/26428