Scoyo.de is an online learning platform for the 1st to the 7th grade. At scoyo.de pupils can create an own profile where their learning development is represented. There are a children’s, a parent’s and a teacher’s page which provide different information. The page for parents for example, informs about the learning success of the children, the learning content, prices etc. The subjects German and maths are offered for the grades 1 to 4. Amongst other subjects, English is offered from the 5th to the 7th grade.
There are pros and cons using scoyo.de which I try to illustrate in the following.
Pros:
- the online learning environment is secure: only verified users have access to the learning platform and all content on the site is appropriate for children
-learning with scoyo is fun: there are a lot of story-based adventures focused on the different subjects and many exciting worlds to explore which allow contextual learning
-students work individually: they set their own pace and get personal feedback in order to improve their skills
-the learning content meets the current curriculum
-insight for parents: parents can inform themselves about their child’s performance
Cons:
-untransparency: the costs are not represented very well ( at first sight it seems that you pay 14,99€ for 6 months and 19,99€ for 3 months, but the stated price refers to one month only)
-low choice: there are only three fields for the subject English (pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar), there are no tasks for listening comprehension, communication or writing texts but too many multiple choice tasks
-expensiveness: if you consider the low offering and the above mentioned prices per month, scoyo is too expensive, if you need help you can call a hotline, but it costs 0,14 €/min.
All in all, I think an online learning platform where children can learn playfully is a good idea but I would not recommend it in its present state because I think the tasks are too one-sided. Expecially for the subject English as a foreign language communicative tasks are preferable. There are no communication, listening comprehension or text creating tasks which is very important for learning a second language. I would recommend scoyo.de to my pupils, if tasks of such kind would be added to the platform.
