MWorld {Review}

Over the last few years I've been pursuing a new direction in our home school, one that is built upon Charlotte Mason's ideals and sprinkled with delight directed opportunities.   In today's digital filled era I have found it difficult finding information that is enriching, twaddle free and reliable.  

Monash University have set out to meet this need and created an app to meet the criteria and today it is my pleasure to introduce you to MWorld.

Last week I had the privilege of a teleconference with Justin who shared with me his passion to grow and create an app that would use curiosity to unleash learning in our children.  Justin and his team have been working alongside the leading academics at Monash University to produce each unit on MWorld so you can trust the information you are accessing is up to date and correct. (You can watch a one minute overview on YouTube here.)


Did you know...

• Curiosity increases your brain function and leads to more engaged learning and better memory retention?
• Pre-school children ask an average of 26 questions an hour.

MWorld is constantly growing and being developed.  They are currently developing mini missions which will be available later this year.   These missions are there to equip parents to support their children's learning and encourage enquiring minds to learn more.


How Does MWorld Work?
There are a few different options available to use MWorld. (PC, Android app and Apple app).
We have been given MWorld to use for a full year and have access to the complete platform.

IF you sign up via the Home Education option the team at MWorld set up your account and send you an access code (MCode) and password.  You use this to log in and set up your account.

Once you log in, you have the option of either customizing your avatar or exploring the world we live in. As you explore the world through one of the apps you will collect points which allow you to purchase clothing for your Avatar.

You also collect experience points. These points show you where you are on the leader board.

The leader board is private unless you add your friends to it. Experience points also build your badge level.  You can see how many points are needed in order to graduate to the next level.

Points are awarded for: each screen you read, each game played (these reinforce learning) and each quiz which is answered.

By clicking on Explore the World you are taken to the app home screen. Here you will find the main ten learning areas. Each of these areas are divided into five apps each. After selecting the subject you are then taken to the app area.

 For example in the Natural World you will find: Deep Blue Sea, Volcanoes, Deserts, Extreme Weather and Protected Areas. Next you select your area of interest.  The app then downloads to the device and loads.  Each app is fairly large due to the beautiful rich graphics, text to speech,  videos and interactive pages.

Each module has an introductory video  (See all available module introductory clips on YouTube).

The center of the page is a list of questions to whet your appetite on the topic.   On the left and right margins you will find graphics which are links to learning areas.

Along the bottom of the page there are five buttons: back, home (takes you to the first screen), map, points page and text to speech. The text to speech function is a handy tool for younger students or students who are auditory learners.

 The map shows you where you are in the module and the total number of learning areas for the module.  As you can see each module is fairly extensive.

MWorld can be used off line. To access offline studies each of the 50+ apps can be found on the app store. You use your MCode to unlock the app which is then downloaded independently onto your device.

On the home screen you will find a credits button beneath the sign out button.  In this area you will find a complete list of the titles on MWorld linked to an information card.  Here you can meet the scientist who contributed to the production of the topic, a full list of the production team, a list of reference materials used in the unit and the names of the production team responsible for the unit app production.

Titles Available on MWorld
At present there are over 50 areas of learning on MWorld and it will be growing so be sure to check back to see what is new.
MWorld have supplied a summary, YouTube introduction and a free downloadable teacher guide for each title on the MWorld Title finder page.

1. Animals
   
   • Adapting to new Worlds
   • Fangs - How do animals eat ?
   • How do animals behave?
   • Long-distance Travellers
   • Sharks and Rays
2. Art&Music
   
   • Art Today
   • How to write a Song
   • Jammin'
   • Secrets of art: Drawing
   • World Beats
3. Early Civilizations
   
   • Ancient Greece
   • Angkor
   • Early Australians
   • Early China
   • Rome: The Early Days
4. The Human Body
   
   • Build Your Own Skeleton
   • Germs
   • The making of me
   • Peak performance
   • Sleep and Dreams
5. Language and Culture
   
   • Dragon boat festival
   • Fairy Tales - The untold story
   • Lost languages
   • Manga
   • Spain: Food, Football & Fiesta?
6. The Modern World
   
   • Challenges of our time
   • The digital age
   • Money
   • Super-fast Trains
   • Mega-cities
7. The Natural World
   
   • Deep Blue Sea
   • Deserts
   • Extreme Weather
   • Protected Areas
   • Volcanoes
8. People and Places
   
   • Asia Today
   • Changing Places
   • Designing Places
   • Europe Today
   • The Rises of Cities
9. Space
   
   • Black Holes
   • Comets, Asteroids and Meteors
   • Galaxies
   • Mission to Mars
   • Planets
10. The Wonders of Science
    
    • Chemistry:Let's Get Started
    • How does Life Work?
    • How to become a Scientist
    • Invisible World - Inside the Atom
    • Light

What platform is MWorld available on

• iPad (iPad 3 and later, All iPad Air and Mini models)
• Android (Android 4.4 and later)
• PC (Windows 7 and later)

Due to the size of each of the individual topics covered, (the beautiful photographs and interactive content of MWorld) you will need access to quality internet connectivity in order to download and use your chosen area of learning. The main MWorld app needs connectivity to run.

MWorld can be used off line on your chosen device. You will need to download your chosen topic as an independent app via the app store.

The Cost*

• Single topic apps for MWorld are available to purchase at $5.99 each.
• Home Education bundle is currently available for $59 for 54 apps (That is a saving of $317.47!). To access this special please email your request to team@discovermworld.com and they will do the rest.
• MWorld is available for school class use in student bundles. 
• FREE trial is available.  You will receive two credits to unlock two titles of your choice along with three units: Jammin, Planets and Volcanoes.

*Prices quoted are current as of July 2016 and subject to change at any time.  Please check the MWorld website for up to date pricing information.  
Connect with MWorld on Social Media

•  Facebook - Discover MWorld
• Twitter - @discovermworld
• Google+ -  +Discovermworld
• YouTube - MWorld  

I am very impressed with this app. The graphics are beautiful, the information is twaddle free and presented using excellent multimedia platforms.  The variety of topics covered is both broad and deep, we have  over a year of learning at our finger tips.

We are looking forward to learning more about the world around us using MWorld. Nathaniel enjoys following whatever path of curiosity he chooses, personally I like being able to use a professionally presented supplement to reinforce our current learning areas. 

Blessings
Chareen