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High School Story

Mindprint Rating

Tags

Standardized Test Prep All Ages Android App

Skills

Flexible Thinking Organization

Mindprint Expert Review

Pros

  • Game has no end.
  • Students must use imagination, planning, and problem solving skills when making decisions about their school.

Considerations

  • Moving characters and arrows may be overwhelming for students with visual weaknesses.
  • Concerned parents should understand the app encourages negative social stereotyping and questionable behavior.
  • Limited educational value.

Mindprint Expert Review

This app has limited educational value and questionable content. The players assume the role of a high school student with the task of creating a new school by purchasing buildings from the virtual store and recruiting new students. Students are described as “nerds,” “jocks,” or “preps,” and you can earn coins by recruiting them by “partying” and “hanging out.” Players control the student body, go on dates, set up friends and decide what the characters will say “I pick truth; I pick dare; I pick just making out.” “You’re pretty.” There is negative stereotyping like "Whoa, you are trying to admit a nerd" and you need to buy nerds educational items like chemistry sets. The redeeming aspect is that characters level up by purchasing books and studying. As with other role playing games, there are elements of planning, strategy, problem solving, and imagination as users make choices about their school. However, the app's educational value is limited and may actually be detrimental to teaching children social values like accepting others and themselves. *Note: This app was originally reviewed for iPad/iPhone. Some differences might apply.

Fun

Engaging for the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Appropriate for a broad age range to use and enjoy
  • Subject matter and problems are relevant, interesting and authentic to students
  • Visually appealing to children in the target age range
  • Provides virtual rewards or incentives after meeting specified goals or objectives
  • Provides a "break activity" between academic problem sets
  • Offers ongoing, progressive challenge
  • Overall - Enjoyable. Given the option, students would choose this option

Easy to Use

Understandable for children in the Mindprint recommended age range

  • Has a free or trial version
  • Provides teaching guidance for adults to support the child and set appropriate goals
  • Provides an age-appropriate tutorial/first time users can work independently
  • Student should be able to use independently after first use
  • Has a multi-player option to foster in-person collaboration or cooperation
  • Multiple users can save a profile
  • Student graduates to the next level or topic only after meeting a benchmark
  • Can play without sound and not distract others
  • Students can save work between sessions
  • Can effectively understand and monitor student's progress (email report or in product)
  • Provides options to play in languages other than English/Good for ELL
  • Presents information in multiple formats (voice over, pictures and text, etc.)
  • Overall - Easy to use

Cognitive Concerns

May not be advisable for students with the following cognitive needs

  • Anxiety
  • Self-regulation
  • Social Awareness
  • Visual Discrimination
    • Requires scanning in multiple places for words, objects or numbers
    • Words used during activity can be too small or difficult to read
    • Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects