Mobile Learning | News

Searchable App Bank Filters 50,000-plus Education Apps

• By Stephen Noonoo
• 09/11/12

The Tennessee Board of Regents has launched its new Mobile App Education and Workforce Resource Center to assist educators looking for apps in their discipline. More than 50,000 hand-selected apps are already cataloged by the site, searchable by education level (preK to Ph.D. to workforce careers), price, and platform.

In addition to individual apps, the resource bank also collects curated app lists from around the Web. Recently, the site introduced an App Alert Service, where educators can sign up for automatic e-mail notification of new apps for their area and level of need.

"We talked to educators and asked if they have time to go to any resource bank to look for apps and they said, ‘No not really,'" says Robbie Melton, associate vice chancellor of e-learning and emerging mobilization technology. "This way, if you need, say, biology apps on the iPad, you’ll automatically receive an e-mail notification to see what new apps are in this bank, so you don’t miss something (that is) like a game changer."

Users can also submit new or unlisted apps for consideration. Each month, TBR library deans select an app of the month to highlight the best additions to the bank, with an iTunes gift card going to the submitter of the winning app.