Epic Math

 

Epic Math
By Geoff Becker

Lets practice and play a little math which works on your basic number facts.  What makes this one different from any of the other educational apps already out in the App Store?  Epic Math oddly enough brought me back to my childhood.  How you might ask?  If you are familiar with the long time game show, The Price is Right, then you will know exactly what I am talking about when I say, “Plinko”.  Whether you are a math wizard or just need a little reinforcement, Epic Math will appeal to all math skill levels.

When you enter the application, you are greeted with a sleek main menu.  The player is given two modes to choose from: Practice or Play with a particular operation (+, -, X or /).  If the practice mode is chosen, the user is to select the skill of their choice, to set the scroll bar for the range of facts that they will reinforce, and to then hit “GO”.  Play does not begin until they tap the answer.  If correct, things will begin to fall from the sky and a new problem will pop up.  However, if incorrect, a window will pop up showing what they tapped in and what should have been tapped.  At the top of the screen there is a report card like visual of how well the user is doing.   In this mode, a user can work at their own pace.  It is not timed which will appeal to many.  Knowing this, it is up to the user as to when they exit the game mode.  Regardless of when they hit home button, for every correct answer, they earn one epicoin that they can bank and then use when they would like in the Toy Shop.

If however the user is more versed in their basic number facts and would like to work on multiple digits then they will want to experience the play mode.  Here they can choose what numbers they would like to play up too but the catch here is that they are also timed.  The goal is to get as many correct in 100 seconds.  If they answer correctly, things will once again drop from the sky but this time where it lands represent how many points they will earn.  In addition, if they get so many correct in a row then the user is awarded star points for that as well.  Watch out math wizards, for every correct answer you are given more epicoins to head to the Toy Shop.  Wondering what’s in this Toy Shop?  Another flash from the past.  Epicoins can be put towards such things as a Hypnotizing Card, a Yes/No game, a card trick, and some handy dice.

As the parent and teacher viewing this application, I think that it is a useful application to add to your collection on either your iTouch, iPhone or iPad.  There are however some things that I might suggest to the developer.  For example, in the play mode, have you thought about giving the user the option to set how long the timer is on for?  Possibly providing them an option of 30, 60, or 90 seconds. By setting this option, it makes them work harder and to challenge themselves each round of play.   My last suggestion would be in future updates to add other rewards to the Toy Shop.  Since this educational app has brought back so many positive memories, I was thinking maybe a marble maze game could be added.  The goal is to make the user want to come back for more each time and to build on their math skills which is unrecognizable with something fun.

I am excited to share Epic Math with my colleagues and to see how it will assist their students at both the primary and secondary elementary schools within my district.  If you would like to learn more about Geoff Becker and Epic Math then click here to begin your download in iTunes.