Epic! Books, A Multimedia Enthusiast’s Dream Resource

Overwhelming evidence exists to support the theory that people learn better from words and pictures than from words alone (Mayer 2014), and this is the justification for the implementation of multimedia objects in the classroom.

Photo by LUM3N on Unsplash

Photo by LUM3N on Unsplash

Countless apps exist to aid teachers with the use of multimedia as a teaching tool. During my research, I discovered a multitude of apps that can assist teachers in various ways. However, I had to select just one. So, with careful consideration, I have chosen Epic! Books as the app that I will review. You are probably asking yourself, “does the Epic! Books app meet the criteria to fulfill the multimedia learning principles as outlined in the Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning?” Find out in my video evaluation of Epic! Books.  

 

 

Interactive Learning Tool Evaluation Rubrics

I evaluated Epic! Books using multiple rubrics. Using Rubric 1, I found that Epic! Books fell into the Works Well column for every criterion.  When I used Rubric 2 to evaluate Epic! Books I discovered that I was able to complete each section with answers that I am confident would lead to the approval of its use in the classroom. Unsurprisingly, Rubric 3 furthered my confidence in Epic! Books as it proved easy to complete the approval form confidently. When I visited the Focused Education Resources page, the first resources I found were books that have been evaluated for use in schools. Then, as I cross-referenced the list with the Epic collection, I discovered that the majority were available within. After using the various evaluation rubrics, I am confident in Epic! Books being an excellent resource for teachers. Two additional questions I considered that were not present in the rubrics were:

  1. Does this multimedia learning tool not follow any Multimedia Learning Principles (Mayer 2014)? If not, are there reasons why the creator of the tool may have chosen not to follow the principle(s) in the service of another learning outcome or pedagogical goal? Epic! Books is made up of a collection of children’s books that are incredibly diverse. Therefore, this question is difficult to answer completely. However, the app does provide teachers with opportunities to follow all of the multimedia learning principles. Furthermore, I believe that the diverse range of books and delivery formats that Epic! provides access to is one of its greatest strengths because it ensures access and suitability for every learner, which is, after all, our goal as educators.
  2. Where on the ladder of the SAMR Model of technology integration does the multimedia tool being evaluated fall? If the MML tool is more than a substitution in the SAMR model, are the additional benefits the tool provides worth the investment of your time, your learners’ time, and school budget compared to other tools already in use in your school district? Upon first inspection, people may see Epic! as being a substitution due to it appearing to be simply an online library of books that are already in traditional print circulation. However, I would classify Epic! in the redefinition category. I genuinely feel that Epic! redefines learning for students due to the multiple formats available such as audiobooks, comics, videos and traditional text (which has a read-to-me option). Additionally, Epic utilizes new technology such as Augmented reality lessons and activities. Furthermore, Epic! has pre and post read questionnaires available on many books that allow children to gauge their comprehension and is a perfect tool for inquiry-based learning. SAMR defines redefinition as “Technology allows for the creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable” I, for one, could not have conceived a tool such as Epic! being available when I was a k-12 student.

 

My experience using Epic! was overwhelmingly positive from an instructors’ perspective. Please watch this video of my impressions as I use Epic! Books.

 

 

References

Anstey, L., & Watson, G. (2018, September 18). A Rubric for Evaluating E-Learning Tools in Higher Education. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/9/a-rubric-for-evaluating-e-learning-tools-in-higher-education

Curriculum Starting Points Planning Tool. (n.d.). Focused Education Resources. Retrieved June 14, 2020, from https://archived.bcerac.ca/services/starting-points/index.aspx H, L. (2017, October 30).

H. L. (2017). SAMR Model: A Practical Guide for EdTech Integration. Schoology Exchange. https://www.schoology.com/blog/samr-model-practical-guide-edtech-integration

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