Epic! is a teacher, student and parent friendly digital reading application designed for readers under the age of twelve. Teachers working with this program have the ability to track their students’ reading progress, provide at home reading assignments, and tailor reading to the student’s reading level. Teacher salaries do not support the investment of fancy technology and expensive applications; therefore, Epic! being offered as a free application makes it accessible for any educator with access to a school laptop or iPad cart. In Chien-Chuan Ko, Chun-Han Chiang, Yun-Lung Lin and Ming-Chung Chen’s article, “An Individualized e-Reading System Developed Based on Multi-Representations Approach,” (2011) they state that many “disabilities prevent students from meeting the challenge of the general curriculum” (p.88). This evaluation aims to prove that Epic! can be used to break down barriers for most students and provide easy and effective access to learning. Throughout our evaluation, we will identify how this application utilizes principles of multimedia learning, several reviews based on the application’s success in classroom situations, research supporting the use of Epic! in multimedia learning and how we plan to use this application in our future teaching practices.

Epic!’s vast content includes many of the multimedia learning principles such as multimedia, signalling, segmenting and guided discovery. The multimedia learning principle is where “people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone” (McCue, 2020). Epic contains countless picture books for children to enhance their knowledge and understanding as they read. The signalling principle is where “people learn better when cues are added that highlight the key information and its organization” (McCue, 2020). There is a collection of Read-to-Me books that offer a follow-along word highlighting feature. This helps students to focus on each spoken word and to make connections between written words and their corresponding pronunciation. The segmenting principle is where “people learn better when a multimedia message is presented in learner-paced segments rather than as a continuous unit” (McCue, 2020). Readers can work through books at their own pace and can choose to complete quizzes on certain topics to test their knowledge or after they read a book to develop their comprehension. The acts of listening to read-alouds, testing for comprehension, discussing books with others and reading authentic literature “are not only engaging aspects of literature-based classrooms across grade levels, but also essential aspects of learning to read and respond to literature in the early grades and beyond” (Möller, 2015, p. 55). Lastly, the guided discovery principle is where “people learn better when guidance is incorporated into discovery-based multimedia environments” (McCue, 2020). Although this app is very open and learner-centered, teachers can create multiple-choice quizzes and book collections from the various books on the app to assign to their students in order to guide them in a certain direction in order to enrich their learning process.

The reviews and responses regarding Epic! are overwhelmingly positive. This application contains over 35000 different types of books such as audio books, educational videos and quizzes. The app is to be user friendly, accessible and adaptable for each student (Chandler, 2017). A local kindergarten teacher stated that she has found Epic! to be the best way to interest her students in reading and to introduce them to a wide variety of material that can interest each child (Sarah Fiorentino, personal communication, June 24, 2020). Also, she appreciates how this application allows for individual exploration of books for her young readers as well as whole-class lesson options to practice various early reading skills (Sarah Fiorentino, personal communication, June 24, 2020). Variety and books that will interest each learner were common themes throughout numerous reviews as well as the ability to move towards a paperless classroom (Chandler, 2017). Teachers can also create assignments and use Epic! as an assessment tool (Michelle, 2019). Another teacher said that Epic! has increased the reading motivation of all her grade 3 students because of the reading badges they can earn. He stated that his students “love earning badges, and so [does he], because the more time reading leads to better fluency and comprehension” (Devlin Coleman, personal communication, June 24, 2020). There is also an online guide available for educators “which has allowed for so many interactive lessons that students love” (Devlin Coleman, personal communication, June 24, 2020).

With classrooms continuing to focus on individualized learning and the increasing amount of technology available, applications such as Epic! ensure that teachers have a resource that can be effectively used to promote literacy in elementary classrooms. There have been many studies done on the effectiveness of eBooks and digital reading on tablets with beginning and emerging readers. Frequently, children are more engaged and are able to find enjoyment using apps similar to Epic!. Interactive elements within the application, such as quizzes and videos, can increase children’s autonomy as a reader and enjoyment of activities (Aliagas and Margallo, 2017). Additionally, eBooks and reading using a digital format was found to boost engagement and motivation to read for pleasure (Galebandi and Noorhidawati, 2019).

Epic! is a valuable resource that we will be using in our future teaching practices. This application has multiple features that can help enhance classroom experiences for both the teacher and the student. There are many ways to use Epic! in the classroom. Below we have attached a link to a Prezi where we share several ways in which we plan to use this application in the future.

Watch Prezi here! 

Through research on the Epic! application, we have discovered the diverse content developed to support teachers and students. Epic allows teachers to create individualized reading plans for students, provide multiple copies of the same picture books and create a larger library for students’ research projects. Additionally, this application is easily accessible and engaging for all students. Ko, Chiang, et al. (2011) state that “reading skill is essential to a successful learning activity” (p. 88). As strong believers in this statement, we conclude that Epic will support our future students in becoming more effective and comprehensive readers. By enhancing and developing our students’ reading skills, they will be able to better contribute and engage in classroom reading activities and therefore, gaining more knowledge from reading activities.

References:

Aliagas, C., & Margallo, A. M. (2017). Children’s responses to the interactivity of storybook apps in family shared reading events involving the iPad. Literacy, 51(1), 44-52. doi:10.1111/lit.12089

Chandler, A. (2017, July 15). Smart Review- An Epic! Review from a teacher and a parent. Retrieved from https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/07/getting-smart-review-an-epic-review-from-a-teacher-and-parent/

Ghalebandi, S. G., & Noorhidawati, A. (2019). Engaging children with pleasure reading: The E-reading experience. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 56(8), 1213-1237. doi:10.1177/0735633117738716

Ko, C.-C., Chiang, C.-H., Lin, Y.-L., & Chen, M.-C. (2011). An Individualized e-Reading System Developed Based on Multi-Representations Approach. Educational Technology & Society, 14 (4), 88–98.

Learning at the Primary Pond. 2019. Five Ways To Use Epic! In The Classroom (That You May Not Have Thought Of!) – Learning At The Primary Pond. [online] Available at: <https://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/epic-for-teachers/&gt; [Accessed 25 June 2020].

McCue, R. (2020). Principles of Multimedia Learning—A summary. Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TGVFG_iCc3iSz3aX3j8UC-YC63V__6tKFJQ4FtAsH4o/edit?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook

Michelle, E. (2019, February 25). Common Sense Education- Teacher Review for Epic! Kids books and Videos. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jewk2MM8scHUEW08dFDXqMxqeWh3vYtItFVlzSxLqxw/edit

Möller, K. J. (2015). Apps in literature-based classroom instruction: Integrating reading and response through traditional and digital media. Journal of Children’s Literature, 41(1), 54. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/docview/1683975342?pq-origsite=summon

Wohlwend, K. (2017). The case of the iPad: Mobile literacies in education. Singapore: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4364-2

Chapter fifteen of “The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning” by Richard Mayer focuses on the Guided Discovery Learning Principle in Multimedia Learning. This principle states that people learn better when guidance is incorporated into discovery-based multimedia environments. Given the fact that education and instruction can be presented in many different ways, it is up to educators to decide which method they use in their own teaching practice. This chapter explains that “too little guidance causes the student to fail, whereas too much guidance challenges the self-directed nature of the discovery learning process” (Jong & Lazonder, 2014, p. 382). This adds credibility to the argument that guidance is beneficial throughout the learning process, however, the amount of guidance provided to achieve the best learning outcomes may depend on multiple variables.

In this chapter, Ton de Jong and Ard Lazonder discuss how discovery instructional approaches result in generating deeper learning than if the information was simply given to students. Although various teaching styles can be effective under certain circumstances, Jong and Lazonder highlight the effectiveness of science education and how it “should engage students in active investigation and experimentation so as to increase and sustain their motivation” (Jong & Lazonder, 2014, p. 372). They continue to explain how unguided discovery learning is generally ineffective due to the challenges students face with the lack of direction they are given and how students will learn more if they are sufficiently guided. They then detail the different types of guidance such as process constraints, performance dashboard, prompts, heuristics, scaffolds and direct presentation of information.  Process constraints “[restrict] the number of options students need to consider” (Jong & Lazonder, 2014, p. 375) in order to make the learning process more manageable. This type of guidance is best used when students lack the knowledge of how to apply the inquiry process. Once sufficient experience is gained, the constraints can be loosened. Performance dashboards give students a “real-time progress report of their discovery learning process” (Jong & Lazonder, 2014, p. 375). They help students learn about the quality of their work and are best used with students that know how to follow up on feedback. Prompts remind students of certain tasks to be completed throughout their learning process and are given to students who may not be able to complete tasks independently. More detailed prompts have proven to be more effective than less detailed prompts. Heuristics provide students with suggestions (that are even more detailed than prompts) for how to go about conducting their learning process. They are best used when students are unsure about when or how to conduct the actions necessary to carry out their learning process. Scaffolds help guide students by supplying them with “components of the process and thus structure the process” (Jong & Lazonder, 2014, p. 377). They are best used when the learning process is too challenging for students. Lastly, direct presentation of information can be given throughout the learning process and is most effective when students are unable to individually find information or their prior knowledge is limited. This allows students to explore information deeper in the discovery environment. Jong and Lazonder emphasize how studies have proven guided discovery learning to be more effective than direct instruction and unguided instruction.  They also state the importance of giving the suitable amount of guidance to students. This depends on a student’s knowledge and skills and is something that needs to be monitored in order to support their evolving needs. The authors conclude this chapter by stating how further “research should focus on the design of well-balanced learning environments that, if applicable, combine different types of guidance at different levels of specificity” (Jong & Lazonder, 2014, p. 385) and how the creation of these environments will help to encourage the use of scientific discovery learning in classrooms

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The authors prove that there are many advantages when guided discovery principles are implemented into multimedia learning throughout chapter fifteen of “The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning.” The question still stands, however, should we combine different methods of guidance together? Jong and Lazonder’s chapter concluded conflicting findings. Through one study, implementing a variety of methods was found to enhance the learning outcomes of students; on the other hand, another study found it was extremely detrimental to the students’ learning. Mayer acknowledges in his paper the possibility of the negative findings being related to the two methods, self regulated scaffolding and integrated data interpretation, conflicting throughout the inquiry process; Jong and Lazonder’s findings may also have been related to the students they studied. For example, students with attention deficit disorders may struggle to stay focused when too many supports are working simultaneously. In comparison, some students who struggle to grasp concepts and processes in a singular topic may thrive off additional support. Perhaps, to better understand the consequences and successes of using a variety of methods, we first need to better understand which methods work well together, and when. By researching which methods are successful when used simultaneously, we can better equip our students for success instead of overwhelming them with conflicting methods. Whether teachers conducting inquiry based learning choose to use multiple guided discovery principles or few principles, it is important when planning to keep this in mind, “you (the student) don’t get used to the teacher giving you the answer, you get to find the answer by yourself” (Baldock and Murphrey, p. 240, 2020). This quote defines the fun students find throughout this style of learning. In their article, “Secondary Students’ Perceptions of Inquiry-based Learning in the Agriculture Classroom”, Balock and Murphrey quote a student who believes inquiry based and guided discovery learning “allows everyone to learn the same thing, but in different ways” (p. 240, 2020). These students who find joy and engagement from this teaching style prove to teachers the importance of stepping back from the methods and theories to focus on creating a lesson which allows the students to inquire and discover then implementing methods afterward which will work to support the students on their journey.

To conclude, the guided discovery principle in multimedia learning is an approach that will positively impact each student’s learning. This method incorporates various levels of guidance into discovery based situations and allows students to learn information deeply. This chapter makes it evident that in order for students to learn information effectively, they need to be engaged in their learning process. The guided discovery method allows for this as it enables educators to provide their students with various types/degrees of guidance depending on their specific learning needs. Using this method in the future will benefit each child. Being aware of various methods available and trying various methods for different students allows this method to incorporate the universal design for learning and allow deep learning. Using these methods independently as well as incorporating various strategies together will prove to be beneficial in our future teaching careers. This method is adaptable for each student and can therefore lead to deep thinking, learning and individualized success for each learner because “people learn better when guidance is incorporated into discovery-based multimedia environments” (Mayer, 2014, p.7).

References:

Baldock, K., & Pesl Murphrey, T. (2020). Secondary Students’ Perceptions of Inquiry-based Learning in the Agriculture Classroom. Journal of Agricultural Education

De Jong, T., & Lazonder, A. (2014). The Guided Discovery Learning Principle in Multimedia Learning. In R. Mayer (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 371-390). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139547369.019

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369

Pwalshy. (2019, March 25). Discovery Learning – Bruner [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1MTybVmF5Y

Schwartz, A. (2017, June 5). CI149 – Guided Discovery Model. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm2Uz7bELsw

The multimedia application that we have chosen is Epic! Epic is a digital reading application that is tailored to children under the age of 12 to use on a tablet or computer. Educators can access Epic for free, and then gain an “access code” to share it with their students. On this app readers can track their reading progress, and since Epic is compatible with Google Classroom, this progress can be shared with the child’s teacher. Classrooms will need individual tablets or computers in order to use this app, but in our experience, we have noticed that most schools offer iPads or tablets that students can borrow.

We have chosen this app because it is a resource we all believe that we would like to use in our future teaching practice. Compared to the other apps our group reviewed, we decided that Epic has the most student and teacher-friendly features, and this makes it more applicable in a classroom setting. We also thought that the layout of Epic was unique, and provided teachers and students with a lot of valuable resources. Furthermore, there are many fantastic reviews about Epic from parents and educators who use this app. Many of these reviews stated that the titles on Epic are popular, teachers can manage student’s profiles, encourages students to engage in reading activities, and many more. Another exciting feature Epic offers is “10 Creative Ways to use Epic! in the Classroom”. This list has many examples that we can definitely imagine incorporating into various lessons.

Overall, we have chosen Epic because of its user-friendly approach and we believe it is a valuable resource that follows many of the multimedia learning principles. We hope that by researching and learning more about Epic, it will help us feel more confident using this application in our future classrooms.

Epic! is a digital reading application tailored to children under the age of 12 for use on a tablet or computer. It can be used by both students and families at home or by a teacher in a classroom setting. Epic features 40,000 digital books that students can access in different ways (audiobooks, comprehension quizzes, videos, etc). There are levelled books, bestsellers, books in Spanish, non-fiction books, picture books, and chapter books available for download. The application is free for teachers and educators and otherwise costs $7.99USD per month. Users can track their reading progress as well as complete challenges in the app. Epic is compatible with Google Classroom so progress can be shared and viewed with families and teachers. Upon reading some reviews left from customers online, a common concern is the inability to restrict content for different age groups on the app. Some parents found that, when left unattended, their children were able to find books containing inappropriate topics or images for their age (violence, etc). I personally have used this app with a child that I work with and find it very accessible and appreciate the vast array of material that is available. I especially enjoy the “Read to Me” function because this allows children to have a story read to them from someone different than who they may typically be read to. There is also a function to highlight the words that are being read so that beginning readers are able to follow along. 

Deciding if this application follows or does not follow the Multimedia Learning Principles was difficult based on the volume of content available on the app. At times, the app does not follow The Redundancy Principle. There are multiple versions of the same story on the app with each one only varying slightly, this could become overwhelming to a user deciding which one to choose. This is similar as well for The Coherence Principle. Depending on the learner and the chosen content, there can be too many “extras” added to the texts or features within the app. Additionally, because the books featured on this application are children’s books, there are often “extras” that are involved in stories or videos that could overwhelm a learner but could also enhance and entertain a different learner. By providing so many choices, the creators of this app are able to appeal to a diverse group of learners and are able to provide different options to meet the different needs of today’s learners. 

On the SAMR model of technology integration, this app falls under the substitution and augmentation categories, depending on how it is used and by which age and ability of the learner using it. It falls under substitution by simply having books that are presented digitally compared to a physical, print book. The app works as augmentation when new readers gain the ability to have books read to them with the addition of features like having the words highlighted as they are being read.

Rubric-for-eLearning-Tool-Evaluation – epic

References

DeBell, A. (2020, June 4). How to Use Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning [Examples Included]. Retrieved from https://waterbearlearning.com/mayers-principles-multimedia-learning/

Mayer, R. E. (Ed.). (2014). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139547369