Web 2.

0 Tool Project
Task #1 Describe & Explain a Web 2.0 Technology
Title: Popplet
URL: www.popplet.com; also available as an iPad app
Description:
Popplet is a website and iPad app that is used to visually organize
information into a mind map. Popplet can be used for presentations, as an
organizational tool for planning assignments or projects, as a brainstorming
tool, and for visualizing relationships between concepts, images, and videos.
Popplet advertises itself as a visual learning tool for students and as a
brainstorming and organizational tool for professionals. Popplet is very
simple to use and allows the user to create fun and colorful multi-media
mind maps, called Popplets, consisting of individual units (text, images,
videos, drawings, or any combination therein) called popples. These mind
maps can be shared with group members for collaboration and finished
Popplets can be shared publicly on the Popplet site. There is also a
presentation mode that allows users to format their Popplet for presentation
by creating a viewing order for popples or groups of popples.
Strengths:

Perhaps the biggest strength of Popplet is its ease of use. Popplet has
been pared down to the essential elements for making a coherent
presentation or concept map and is therefore quick for new users to

learn and master.

Building off the previous point, Popplet utilizes a non-technical, userfriendly, and colloquial language style in its instructions and labels.
These straightforward instructional labels, such as type stuff and
pop culture jokes like the make it so button to begin work on a new
Popplet make the site more accessible and fun for younger or less

tech-savvy users.
Popplet allows for collaboration on a Popplet, with name tagging to
indicate the creator of each popple within the Popplet. This facilitates

group work and aids the teacher/librarian in assessing the

contributions of each group member.

Popplet has a presentation mode that allows users to pre-set an order
for presenting their Popplet. This allows students to create a focused
path through the individual popples of their Popplet, similar to the

way Prezi functions, rather than projecting the entire screen at once.
Popplet has a comment function, which allows users to add notes,
more in-depth information, or citations without cluttering up the

presentation screen with too much text.

Popplet has multimedia capabilities, allowing for the easy
incorporation of text, videos, and images.

Weaknesses:

Popplet doesnt allow the addition of directionality to linkages

between popples (for example by using an arrow instead of a line),
which diminishes Popplets potential for use in flowcharts or more

complex webs of interconnectivity.

Photos can only be added to a Popplet from the users computer, not
directly from the internet or from cloud storage. This could be a
hindrance for students using Popplet on school computers or iPads, as
they would have to save images to the computer/iPad in order to use

them in Popplet.
Only 5 Popplets can be saved in the free version of Popplet.
Popplet has limited customizable design options. For instance, it only
has 3 font sizes, no bold/italic/underline capability, only one font
choice, and a limited color palette. While this could be viewed as a
benefit in that it prevents students fixating on the design elements
instead of content (for example, the student that spends hours
working on slide transition animations in PowerPoint), it is ultimately

still a restrictor on student creativity.

As an app, Popplet is currently only available for the iPad.

Special Features:

Embedded Vimeo and Youtube search function

Presentation mode for recording an presentation path through the

individual popples or areas of the Popplet

Collaborative and public sharing capabilities
Abiliy to browse a library of Popplets made by other users
Timewarp feature allows viewing of changes made to a Popplet during

the creation process

Completed Popplets can be exported as a PDF, jpeg, or high resolution
png and can be printed directly from the website

Similar Web 2.0 Tools:

There are a lot of Web 2.0 tools that serve the same basic purpose as
Popplet, that of creating mind maps/organizational charts. The following are
just a few of them, divided up into free and paid programs.
Free:

Coggle, www.coggle.it
SpiderScribe, www.spiderscribe.net
Bubbl.us, www.bubbl.us
Mind42, www.mind42.com
Mindomo, www.mindomo.com
Wisemapping, www.wisemapping.com

Paid:

Mindmeister, www.mindmeister.com
MindNode, www.mindnode.com
iMindMap, www.thinkbuzan.com/products/imindmap/
Scapple, www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple.php