TASK 5 - "Remind"

Hello! I'm Álvaro and this week I'm going to evaluate an online tool called Remind. Remind is a communication app for teachers to instantly text students and parents outside the classroom. It allows teachers and students to send messages in real time to an entire class, a small group, or just a single person. Teachers can also schedule announcements ahead of time and attach photos and other files. To examine this online tool I have used two tools: the Rubric for eLearning Tool Evaluation and the Common Sense Privacy Program.

Let's start analyzing it according to the rubric for eLearning Tool Evaluation.

Firstly we are going to talk about functionality, the tool works well in terms of functionality as it provides the flexibility to accommodate any size class and create smaller sub-groups. It is easy to use as it is very intuitive and similar to many other apps with similar uses. It also allows communication in different ways, giving the option to share images, videos, links …

Regarding accessibility, Remind meets accessibility guidelines and doesn't fail to address the needs of diverse users as it allows every member to participate as much as they want. In addition, the proper use of the app doesn't need anything special (Computer/phone and access to the internet) and is free to use.

Now I am going to talk about the technical part. This tool can be fully integrated into a Learning Management System, while users can use the tool with any standard, up-to date operating system. Also, users can effectively utilize the tool with any standard, up-to date browser, so to use it it's enough with downloading the app.

Examining the mobile design, Remind can be used from a computer or a phone, where it can be accessed either from the app or from the mobile browser. And of course it has a mobile version adapted to the mobile screen. However the tool cannot be accessed without internet connection.

Regarding Privacy, Data, Protection,and Rights, this tool requires users data for the creation of an account but personal information is not displayed publicly and users can control their information through privacy settings.In addition, users retain ownership of their data.

According to Social Presence, in terms of collaboration Remind works well as it has the capacity to support a community of learning through both asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for communication, interactivity, and transfer of meaning between users. Talking about user accountability, instructors cannot control learner anonymity but the tool provides some solution for holding learners accountable for their actions. And regarding diffusion the tool is very popular and many similar tools are very popular as well, so it is very likely that most users are familiar with it.

Talking about teaching presence, the easy-to-use features of the tool will significantly

improve an instructor’s ability of management,monitoring, engagement, and feedback. However the simplicity of the tool provokes that limited aspects of the tool can be customized to suit the classroom context. Finally, the instructor can monitor learners’ performance on a variety of responsive measures. Teaching presence in general works well.

Finally I´m going to analyze cognitive presence. The tool works well in this aspect as it enhances engagement in targeted cognitive tasks that were once overly complex or inconceivable through other means. In addition the use of the tool easily facilitates learners to exercise higher order thinking skills. Also, through the tool, learners can regularly receive formative feedback on learning, even though this depends on the instructor.

The Next tool that I am going to use to evaluate Remind is the Common Sense Privacy Program, which scores different aspects of the tool and classifies it in: Pass/Warning/Fail. Remind overall score is 94%, which is a pass, this means that the tool provides transparent and comprehensive privacy policies with good practices to protect user data.These are some details of the score:

• DATA COLLECTION 60% because personally identifiable information and geolocable information is collected and many information collection is unclear. ‎

• DATA SHARING 85% because data is shared for analytics and it is unclear whether data are shared for research and/or product improvement. ‎

• DATA SECURITY 95%: because a user's identity is verified with additional personal information.

• DATA RIGHTS 95%: because users can create or upload content. ‎

• DATA SOLD 60%: because user information can be transferred to a third party and Third-party transfer is not contractually required to use the same privacy practices. ‎

• DATA SAFETY 90%: because profile information is shared for social and User-created content is not reviewed, screened, or monitored by the vendor. ‎

• ADS & TRACKING 70%: because traditional or contextual advertisements are displayed, but behavioral or targeted advertising is not displayed and the vendor can send marketing messages. ‎

• PARENTAL CONSENT 90%: because Unclear whether this product limits parental consent with respect to third parties. ‎

• SCHOOL PURPOSE 70% : because it is intended for both students and teachers, but personal information or education records are collected from preK-12 students.

In conclusion Remind offers an useful and safe tool of communication between teachers, students, and parents. The results show that it is a powerful tool for schools and that its use should be encouraged by teachers. Also, I´ve used this app in high school and my personal experience with it has been quite good