TYNGSBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Balefire Labs, Inc. (www.balefirelabs.com) — a new provider of tools and services that foster the advancement of children’s learning — announced today the launch of its new online service for parents and teachers that provides objective evaluations on PreK-12 educational apps based on scientifically validated criteria.
With more than 100,000 educational apps available, Balefire Labs, Inc. gives parents and teachers confidence in selecting those apps that are most beneficial to children.
“Industry research has shown that only a small number of parents who purchase educational apps for their children actually believe they are educational. And, they’re right. Based on our objective evaluations of 1,200 educational apps to date, only 7 percent scored a grade of A or B,” said Karen L. Mahon, Ed.D., president and founder, Balefire Labs, Inc. “Balefire Labs’ new service makes it easier for them to choose credible apps because it is the only service that provides objective reviews—not subjective like most—based on scientifically validated evaluation criteria.”
While the number of educational app downloads continues to increase annually, recent industry research* revealed that only 28 percent of parents who purchase them believe they are educational. And, although many third-party websites offer educational app user reviews, most are subjective in content and typically based on how much the reviewer likes the app. Therefore, there is no way to compare and contrast apps directly with one another.
Parents and teachers want to give their children educational tools like apps that help them learn. However, without a credible, unbiased source of reviews, they are often left feeling frustrated when sorting through thousands of educational apps available because it is difficult to find the ones proven to help their children learn.
Balefire Labs, Inc. enlists individuals who are also committed to advancing the education of children. The company trains them to review and evaluate educational apps using a scientifically validated process that includes fourteen separate criteria based on two key metrics: instructional design (ID) characteristics and usability. It is the only service available that uses objective criteria and makes its evaluation process transparent to parents and teachers.
“Our company is built solely upon our commitment to enhancing children’s education. We believe that when they learn and develop usable skills, they have a higher potential as adults to contribute positively to society,” added Dr. Mahon.
Dr. Mahon, an educational psychologist, founded Balefire Labs, Inc. after becoming frustrated with the thousands of educational apps available lacking standards for evaluation offerings. As an instructional design professional, she also observed that the vast majority of educational apps failed to provide meaningful learning outcomes for children.
“If a parent or teacher purchases an app that does not provide any educational value, they have to go back to the app store and try again. That’s lost time that could’ve been used on apps that are fun, engaging and effective,” said Dr. Mahon.
To ensure all evaluations are unbiased, Balefire Labs, Inc. accepts no advertising dollars or third-party vendor payments for review. The service currently offers evaluations for 1,200 educational apps — more than any other service available that provides objective reviews. The service is available for $2.99 per month for users who purchase at least a one-year subscription.
About Balefire Labs, Inc.
Based in Tyngsborough, Mass., Balefire Labs, Inc. is a provider of tools and services that foster the advancement of children’s learning. Launched in 2013, the new online service provides parents and teachers objective evaluations on PreK-12 educational apps based on scientifically validated criteria, so they are confident they are choosing products that are most beneficial for their children. It is the only service available that uses objective criteria and makes its evaluation process transparent to parents and teachers so they have peace of mind. To ensure all evaluations are unbiased, Balefire Labs, Inc. accepts no advertising dollars or third-party vendor payments for review. For more information, please visit www.balefirelabs.com.
*National Study on Children’s Educational Apps and Parental Preferences, April 2012 (Ruckus Media Group)
