ClassDojo Classroom Management Software Evaluation

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE EVALUATION

Software: ClassDojo

Description: ClassDojo is a classroom management software and communication platform and app that focuses on behaviour management.

Vendor: ClassDojo (owns and operates the services that are offered on classdojo.com)

Notes on Use: Class Dojo is used to record and track the behaviour of students, create student portfolios, manage classroom activities and facilitate communication between teachers and parents.

Name of Participant: Dawn-Marie Elcock

 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

SOFTWARE FEATURES	1 Poor	Quick 2 Below Average	3 Average	4 Above Average	5 Excellent	Score
Installation Instructions	Minimum or missing installation instructions	Instructions are difficult to follow	Instructions fairly clear and complete	Clear and user-friendly instructions	Step by steps instructions available online	5
Site Licensing Provisions	No licensing available	Somewhat expensive and/or  limited site licensing	Site licensing available at reasonable cost	Low licensing rate for educators	Multiple educators may use without a fee	5
Technical Provisions	No toll free telephone or online support available	No local support or online support. Phone support available for an hourly rate	Local support and phone support available for moderate fee. Limited online support	Local tech help is available for a few hours per day, no-charge phone support. Online support is available	Local help and to free phone support readily available at no charge. 24 hours online support	4
Ease of Update	No provision for updates	Must purchase new versions; most data will transfer to new version	Updates for less than cost of new versions; data transferable	Minimal fee for updates; data fully compatible	Free updates available online; seamless transfer of data	5
Tutorials	No tutorials provided	Tutorials may be ordered for free	Limited tutorial provided online	Online tutorials provided	Extensive online and video tutorials provided	5
Multiple Platforms	Works on only one operating system	Although purchased for one platform, versions for other platforms may be purchased	Program will run on multiple operating systems; features may vary with platform	Program will run on multiple operating systems; features may similar but not identical	Program will run on multiple operating systems with consistent features across platforms	5
Student Report Capabilities	Can record and report out data only in form they were entered	Reports can be modified so only the data re reported out	Using templates, reports can be generated; minor modifications can be made	Customizable reports and forms can be easily created and printed	Data may be reported out in any format desired	4
Notation Capabilities	No provision for notations	Can attach brief notes on problems but cannot add action taken at a time	Notes can be entered and added	Data entry forms include provision for unlimited comments on the problem and the action taken	Call up record by name; click on problem type; appropriate report appears on forms automatically	3
Special Needs Report Capabilities	No capabilities for notes or reports	Notes limited to 10 words; may be reported out on templates provided	Notes may be made up to 50 words and printed out; supplied templates may be modified by user	Limited of 100 words; both templates and instructor-designed forms may be used for reports	Unlimited notes may be made, and desired reports can be designed and printed out	3
Nonacademic Information Capabilities	Cannot record or report any nonacademic data	Limited provision to record and report nonacademic data in the same form they were entered	Numerical and text data up to 50 characters can be entered and then selectively printed out	Numerical and text data may be entered; multiple field size available; various templates for reporting	Unlimited data entry capabilities; customizable reports can be printed as desired	4

Extracted from myeducation kit- Teaching and Learning with Technology

Score: 43/50

Installation Instructions

Installation instructions are pretty clear, however, you are expected to be part of a school that has already signed up for the app. Alternatively you can choose “I don’t teach in a school” & add your school to the community. There are numerous videos online and clear information on the website to assist in the installation process.

Site Licensing Provisions

Multiple teachers can use ClassDojo without a fee. However, there is the option of upgrading to ClassDojo Plus for a nominal fee of $4.99 per month or $59.99 annually. This gives the user access to additional features not available in the free Basic package.

 

 

Technical Provisions

Although there is no telephone number to call in the event of a technical difficulty, there is a ClassDojo helpdesk that can be reached online. Additionally, users can also email at hello@classdojo.com.

 

Ease of Update

Updates are free. However, there is a small fee for upgrades.

Tutorials

Teachers are given instructions on the website on how to set up their classroom https://classdojo.zendesk.com/. The website offers many step by step instructions on how various things can be done on the app. There are also numerous tutorials available on YouTube that can be useful for those persons requiring assistance.

Multiple Platforms

ClassDojo works on multiple operating systems, namely Android, IOS and Google.  Apple users would have to download Google on their systems to access ClassDojo.

Students Report Capabilities

ClassDojo allows teachers to create report cards; weekly and daily. However, to generate a report, notes are input into a spreadsheet, saved in excel to be downloaded in PDF form. However, with DojoPlus, there is an “enhanced progress report” that is a bit more detailed than Dojo Basic. It offers detailed reports for the children’s active classes, in addition to the daily and weekly reports that are available in the Basic subscription.

Notation Capabilities

When viewing a child’s report, parents will also be able to see any notes that may have been added by the teacher.  They will also see specific details about the points that were awarded.

 

Special Needs Report Capabilities

There is no report capability specific to special needs.  However, a student can have a behaviour plan built into the IEP progress report. If a teacher desires to have all given points and comments for a specified date range, they can check the “include detailed reports of all points” check box, found in the print pop up screen. This feature is available only in DojoPlus.

Nonacademic Information Capabilities

An example of the nonacademic information capabilities would be the fact that text boxes can be added by parents, to PDF documents shared by the teacher to the child’s portfolio. This allows them to record information that can be saved, edited and submitted to the teacher. There is no  limit for numerical or text data.