Review by James Denby, Common Sense Education | Updated September 2019

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ZapWorks

Name: ZapWorks
Item: ZapWorks
Rating: 3
Author: James Denby

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Powerful AR creation tool not built for classrooms

Subjects & skills

Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.

7–12

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The ZapWorks dashboard includes created projects and tutorials.

With the Widget tool, students can add images, videos, web links, sounds, and more.

When students scan with their device, the content appears in augmented reality.

There are multiple ways for students to access the content.

Students scan the trigger image with the Zappar app.

Three different tools are available: Widgets, Designer, and Studio.

Zapworks Designer lets students drag and drop content onto an image, and includes buttons, multiple scenes, and more.

Download Zapworks Studio for the most options, including face tracking and 3D models.

The analytics page provides data on countries, device platforms, and other user statistics.

ZapWorks tutorial videos help teachers get started.

Additional support materials are available.

Pros: Tools are available for teachers with varying expertise; lots of potential classroom uses.

Cons: Many aspects are complicated; not built with the classroom in mind, so creative teachers and students are a must.

Bottom Line: ZapWorks is best suited to tech-savvy teachers and students; others might prefer AR tools with a bigger educational focus.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

ZapWorks wasn't built for education, but it could be a useful classroom tool. Most teachers would likely end up using Widget, because it's fairly simple to use (and because Studio and Designer require a lot of time that most teachers don't have). Using Widget, you can create additional content (videos, audio recordings, images, or text) that you can add as a "layer" to walls, displays, artifacts, etc. For example, you could create ZapWorks triggers, print them, and place them around the school to allow students to do scavenger hunts and learn additional content or related facts. Students would then use their phones and the Zappar app to read the trigger and see and hear the content you've created. For field trips or school events, the widgets would allow participants to access information and see or hear creative content through their phones.

What Is It?

ZapWorks is a creation tool for combining images, videos, sounds, web links, and more to create augmented-reality (AR) experiences. The website allows teachers and students to create in three different ways. The simplest, called Widget, lets novices create something like a QR code (called a "trigger") that can be printed and added to anything in the classroom or school. Using Zappar, the platform's app for reading the triggers, students can hear, see, or watch a new layer of information or augmented reality added to just about any surface.

The Designer tool functions a bit like a PowerPoint slide and lets teachers and students overlay videos and images to share information, communicate messages, and link to websites or social media. The most complex tool, Studio, allows for 3D modeling, visual timelines, and 360-degree imagery. This allows for the development of much more immersive augmented-reality creations.

Is It Good for Learning?

ZapWorks by itself isn't a learning tool, but it offers the potential to share ideas and communicate information in an innovative way through augmented reality. Teachers who get creative with the content will find students who are motivated, though the novelty might wear off over time.

With students as creators, they not only use the tool to connect with others but also explore the emerging field of AR. Students could incorporate ZapWorks triggers into presentations, displays, and projects to communicate additional information and add an element of interactivity. The Widgets tool is simple enough for anyone to use, but Designer and Studio require more advanced users.

Rating Details

Overall Rating

Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Teachers using ZapWorks will likely find students to be engaged by the novelty of AR. It's potentially appealing as a fun way for students to demonstrate learning, too.

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Creating AR experiences with ZapWorks could be an interesting way to energize scavenger hunts, field trips, and more. However, it's up to teachers and students to figure out how to adapt it for the classroom.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

ZapWorks offers a number of tutorials to get users started, but unfortunately, they don't have a classroom focus. A user showcase highlights creations made with the Designer and Studio tools.

Common Sense Reviewer

James Denby Educator/Curriculum Developer

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