UDL+Tech+Tool+Project-+Recall+Plus



Screencast for how to download portion of Recall Plus: media type="file" key="Downloading_RecallPlus_Free_Screencast.mp4" width="798" height="798"

7 Things to Know about Recall Plus

Recall Plus is a method for taking notes and a study method all in one. Diagrams and concept maps, images and drawings can be imported from other sources as well as drawing straight onto the cards with your notes, and recording your own voice or importing sound files are all available to use. Implementing your own images allows personalization and plays on visual stimuli that will help you remember a concept better. These diagrams and concept maps can be arranged in a hierarchy (or as they call it, knowledge tree) to structure and organize concepts. This program doesn’t just allow note taking. The program is equipped with a testing aspect in which students can study (sort of like flashcards) to master content. Recall Plus also gives feedback to the student as to how they’re doing such as graphs of right and wrong answers.
 * What is it?**

Students of all ages from elementary level through college are using this tool to help them study and master concepts. Students who need more visual representations and audio integration to help them learn are using this tool to take charge of their learning. Using this study tool, which they are able to manipulate for fit their needs, students create their own meaningful graphic organizers. In test mode, students are timed and correct and incorrect responses are noted by the user after the test is completed (by right clicking on the idea twice outlining it in red). Therefore, students know which concepts they are missing and what to review further.
 * Who’s doing it?**

Learners are able to construct their own meaning through linking concepts together and incorporating their own audio and visual aspects into their textboxes. This personalization makes Recall Plus ideal to fit individual needs and helps them keep their ideas organized. The testing portion of Recall Plus can be used for students to receive immediate feedback as to the correct answers and actively study rather than stare at their notes. As students work with the software and add elements to their graphic organizer, hints for functions (adding a new idea box etc.) pop up at the bottom and can be extremely beneficial to follow.
 * How does it work?**

The program allows students to set up their textboxes of concepts connecting in a sequence that is meaningful for them or follows their train of thought. Connections between concepts are made by arranging and physically connecting ideas with arrows. Students who struggle to study from the “words on paper” notes are able to organize the concepts in new ways that they can learn from and master better. The addition of media clips (sound or visual) reach all types of learners and learning preferences.
 * Why is it significant?**

Students could use this tool in class during independent work time/study time to summarize the lesson the teacher has just taught by summarizing the main concepts in the graphic organizer set up. This tool could even be used when reviewing for a test: students can choose to create a graphic organizer to visually see broad topics broken down into subtopics and greater detail. Later, the creation can be used with test mode to keep track of concept that students need to study further. This tool wouldn’t necessarily be used with a class project but on a more individual as-needed basis.
 * Describe a classroom project or activity in which you would incorporate this tool.**

Mac computers are not compatible with this software. From research, it doesn’t seem as if a version for Mac will be available in the near future. The website for the software itself had many missing links and would come up with a “page not found” error which is not helpful when trying to explore the program’s features. In addition, the tutorials within the program are difficult to follow (especially the Hands On tutorial). It is recommended to view the Animated Tutorial instead. Simply jumping in to using the program and following the helpful hints at the bottom of the screen for functions helped
 * What are the downsides?**

After initial creation of a personalized graphic organizer, one can print their work or save it to their computer to access later. It doesn’t appear that test results can be printed. However, these results stay within the program until zeroed out by the user and can be used to target items for future studying. It doesn’t appear that the company is planning to add new features based on information found on their website. Recall Plus comes in three other paid versions that progressively contain more and more features.
 * Where is it going?**

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 * Links to reference material:**

Similar to Recall Plus which organizes information into cards and chapters, Headmagnet organizes information into lists and items. Headmagnet seems to be more modern in comparison to Recall Plus. Headmagnet is online and in the cloud so this doesn’t need to be downloaded and take up space on the computer. It can be used on any type of computer, not just Windows. Headmagnet is more user-friendly and the site itself is much easier to follow. The study sessions on Headmagnet are graded by the computer not oneself and multiple test formats are available. Friends can also be added to a study session. Overall, Recall Plus seems extremely outdated in the advancing world of technology as enumerated in the overview of Headmagnet.
 * Comparison to Headmagnet:**