Visual Muscles is a worthwhile reference app for high school and college students studying anatomy, but students should have a very good understanding of terminology before using the app. The home screen links to 14 in-depth illustrations of the different muscle groups in the body. Each illustration has pins to identify the specific muscle and the option to rotate the diagram for a 360 degree view. When students click a pin, they can see the muscle highlighted and a written description of where the muscle begins, ends, and the nerves it touches. It also provides the muscle's specific action in movement. The descriptions might be insufficiently detailed for high school learners who are new to the material, and each short phrase includes several very specific vocabulary that requires a good command of the subject matter to be understandable. The good illustrations will help students link the written descriptions with a visual understanding. Students can test their knowledge with the quizzes that show a muscle group and require a student to locate a specific muscle on the illustration. The muscle table will allow students to find a specific muscle and hear its name pronounced. Overall, a worthwhile reference tool for advanced, self-motivated students but could be intimidating for the typical high school student.*Note: This app was originally reviewed for iPad/iPhone. Some differences might apply. Amazon rating: Guidance Suggested

• Provides sufficient and varied types of practice problems to maximize understanding and generalization of the targeted skill/concept
• Manufacturer claims alignment with Common Core/Known Standards
• Presents educational concepts accurately
• Explains answers so students can learn from mistakes
• Better for teaching the skill to new or struggling learners
• Better for practicing or refreshing the skill
• Skills are practiced through authentic, meaningful problems (not just rote practice)

• 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

• 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

• Anxiety
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Gives negative feedback (red X's, buzzer)
• Timer cannot be hidden
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Attention
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Problems or examples are not interesting for the target age range
• Visually distracting with too many pictures, problems or moving objects
• General Information
• Assumes specific knowledge or vocabulary without "look-up" options
• Organization
• Age inappropriate amount of work which could overwhelm or discourage students
• Problems or examples are not interesting for the target age range
• Reading Fluency
• Turn or quiz abruptly ends when timer runs out
• Verbal Memory
• Assumes specific knowledge or vocabulary without "look-up" options
• Vocabulary
• Assumes specific knowledge or vocabulary without "look-up" options