New Britannica Kids Apps Make Learning Fun

Interactive multimedia apps for Apple's iOS platform are the first in a series

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Sep 14, 2010, 09:16 ET

CHICAGO, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. today announced mobile multimedia apps for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch designed to teach students about three popular school topics in a fun and engaging way.

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The three apps—Volcanoes, Dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt—are meant for students ages 8-14. They're the first titles in a series that Britannica says will provide children in the middle grades with engaging new ways to learn about major school topics using the digital devices they prefer.

Each app combines a rich mixture of reliable information and age-appropriate games that together provide extensive coverage of the subject. In addition to overview articles from Britannica editors on key aspects of each topic—such as plate tectonics, the world of dinosaurs, the dynasties of Egypt—each app also includes a host of multimedia elements, maps, puzzles, photos, videos, narrated slide shows and quizzes. Each app has an innovative navigation wheel at the bottom of the screen designed to make browsing through the features easy and fun.

Among the special features are memory-match games, virtual jigsaw puzzles, media galleries and quizzes in which students can test themselves on what they've learned. There's a list of the most dangerous volcanoes, with an article on each; major dinosaurs from Allosaurus to Velociraptor; and the Egyptian gods, from Amon to Thoth. The apps also make it easy to share the information on Facebook and Twitter.

"These apps provide a unique interactive learning experience for kids," said Britannica president Jorge Cauz. "They're a lot of fun and give parents a convenient way to keep their kids engaged, entertained and educated while on the go. Teachers can use them in the classroom, too. They're novel, entertaining, safe and very versatile."

Cauz said the Britannica Kids' apps are designed to be a useful and relevant part of a mobile experience that is quickly becoming a way of life for many students, parents and teachers.

"Some parents let their children borrow their iPhones," said Cauz, "and we're now seeing this happen with iPads, too. And of course many kids have their own iPod Touch. No matter how a family uses this technology, we want our products to work for them."

Britannica plans to launch universal versions of the apps optimized for the iPad later in the month as well as Android versions later this year. In addition, foreign language versions of all three apps are being considered.

Volcanoes, Dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt are available for download for $4.99 each from iTunes or the Apple Apps Store. Working with its development partner, Concentric Sky, Britannica expects to add additional titles to the series in the months ahead.

About Encyclopaedia Britannica

Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. is a leader in education publishing whose products can be found in many media, from the Internet to wireless devices to books. A pioneer in electronic publishing since the early 1980s, the company markets a variety of encyclopedias and other reference works, curriculum products for schools, language-study courses and other learning products, many of which are available online at http://store.britannica.com. Britannica is also active on Twitter and Facebook. The company makes its headquarters in Chicago.

SOURCE Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.