bubble.us

About Bubbl.us
Bubbl.us is a web based tools which allows for online drawing, editing and creating of mind maps or brainstorming of ideas (identified in the image below). Bubbl.us operates on a simplistic platform which allows the user to add multiple bubbles to create a working brainstorming mind map of ideas. This Web 2.0 tool allows for adding text to each bubble and customizing each of the bubbles with a unique colour. Each bubble can be connected to another bubble and multiple levels of bubbles can be created for extending ideas. Students can use the tool for free with limited features, however; if students sign up for an account they will have the opportunity to save and revisit existing Bubbl.us projects.

Educational Implementation
Bubbl.us has significant educational advantages and benefits which allow students to create digital mind maps to prepare for upcoming assignments, projects and tests. The Web 2.0 tool is an advancement on using traditional pens, and paper to create a mind map, which has only so much room on a single piece of paper. With Bubble.us there is no end to the size of the mind map. Students can easily add ideas or remove ideas from the mind map by clicking a close button in the right-hand corner of the bubble. This short video below describes the advantages of using Bubbl.us. media type="custom" key="6929883" align="center"

Cyber Safety and Bubbl.us
This tool can be used collaboratively or individually which demonstrates that its use for assignment planning and group work is effective for taking and noting ideas. Consideration does need to look into online ‘[|cyber safety]’ when introducing students to this tool as students are collaborating online and they do have a profile which can be viewed as ‘private’ and personal information does not need to be shared. However, it is important that students are aware of the online threats which can occur online.

Advantages and Disadvantages


Some disadvantages of the tool include needing to sign up for an account, the bubbles being too hard to see on the screen, the icons being very small and the site could be blocked in some schools due to its collaborative approaches.

Summary of Bubbl.us
To access Bubbl.us and all its features a free subscription is necessary for saving and re-editing projects, however; if students are creating small projects this tool would be excellent for use as no subscription would be necessary, saving time during lesson for planning using the tool. The tool receives a four out of five for functionality and ease of use. However, the size of the icons is a factor which would make the tool an issue for vision impaired students.

Tool Rating 4 / 5 Stars: