Our guest post this week is written by Jean-eudes Lepelletier, app developer from France. He developed Tapikeo, an app that enables voice enhancements to pictures, flashcards and storyboards. He also built an App Review service called Review for Dev.
I asked Jean-eudes (Jeoud for short) to write up a description of his service, because I think it could come in handy for teachers in their quest for educational apps. Preparing for the school year (new students, new parents, curriculum, supplies, administrative roles, etc.) sounds like a HUGE task. If this is the first year using tablet technology in the classroom, maybe parents could lighten the workload by finding and recommending apps.
Specifically, if parents know the educational topics for the semester, they could search for apps to cover those topics. App Friday is one weekly resource for previewing free apps. In addition, they could review apps on Review For Dev to earn iTunes budget for the classroom. It’s a win for the educators, and a win for the educational app developers.
Here is what Jeoud has to say…
It is very difficult for iPhone/iPad educational app developers to get feedback on their apps. The daunting question can become as simple as “How to find reliable testers for my apps, and get feedback for a reasonable price”? This is why, after creating 2 apps (iVocAudio and Tapikeo HD) I decided to bridge the gap and create a service that would benefit both developers and reviewers: http://www.reviewfordev.com.
Review For Dev is a a fee-for-service platform. The idea is that app developers pay a fee to submit their app for review. Then, Review For Dev would select the Reviewers, and escort them through a comprehensive app review process.
Reviewers purchase the app, and then are reimbursed and additionally compensated for their efforts. Reviewers can earn:
- at least $4 for text reviews of apps already released,
- at least $7 for video reviews of apps already released.
- at least $7 for app beta tests (video or text).
I’m convinced that ReviewForDev is a great way for teachers, educators and parents to discover and test great new apps for their kids but also monetize the time spent trying these new apps. In just a short period of time, many educational categories of apps have been added to the service, so the selection of content is growing.
Here is what a typical app review form looks like:
In order to receive an invitation and register, you can leave your e-mail address here: http://www.reviewfordev.com/request_invite.php. Or, if you have questions, reach out to me directly: more_info@reviewfordev.com. –Jeoud
Note from the Editor: I’ve known Jeoud for the past year and have worked with him closely in the Moms With Apps forums. If you are considering the options above and have any further questions, don’t hesitate to write. I’m happy to brainstorm with you: lorraineakemann@gmail.com.
What a great idea and fresh way to start the new school year! Technology is a necessary feature and function of today’s classrooms (from preschool on). This is a neat approach to get parents and teachers more connected and involved in the students’ coursework that potential apps are relating to. The cost for an app developer to get reviewed doesn’t seem too prohibitive as most of the developers are “mom + pop” shops just trying to cut through the clutter of big brands that give their apps away for free. I work for Technolio apps — a preschool educational app company that has some wonderful products. I will definitely use this new service. Thanks!
Thanks for this guest blog post Lorraine !