WikiNodes
WikiNodes is an app for the Apple iPad built by IDEA.org.[1] WikiNodes was the first tablet app for browsing Wikipedia using a radial tree approach to visualize how articles and subsections of articles are interrelated. The app displays related items (articles or sections of an article), which spread on the screen, as a spiderweb of icons.[2]
Operation[edit]
The app uses the SpicyNodes visualization technique which was awarded a "best for teaching and learning" award in 2011 from American Association of School Librarians (AASL),[3] and voted #edchat's 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools in 2010.[4]
The user interface is based on two display modes:
- Page view -- displays Wikipedia articles in long form, similar to how they appear on the main Wikipedia web site.[5]
- Node view -- divides Wikipedia articles into sections, and links articles to related articles, similar to mind mapping.[6] The user can drag nodes, taps any node to display it in detail, with a panel to scroll to read the contents of the section.[7] This provides a visual way to see the relationships between articles.[8][9]
As of June 2011, the app supports the 36 top Wikipedia languages (by number of articles).
Reception[edit]
The app was highlighted as a "Staff pick" by Apple's U.S. App Store, Week of May 28, 2011; as "New and Noteworthy" by Apple's U.S. App Store, Week of May 5, 2011; and at other times by Apple's app stores for non-US countries.[10] It has been favorably covered by several bloggers, including those in the references below.[11]
See also[edit]
- List of Wikipedia mobile applications - Other iOS mobile apps providing access to Wikipedia
- Radial tree - the general type of layout algorithm
- SpicyNodes - Information visualization technique
References[edit]
- ^ Wikipedia's 'The Signpost' 13 June 2011, In the news.
- ^ Mossberg, Walt. "Encyclopaedia Britannica Now Fits Into an App." 28-September-2011. Wall Street Journal. The article mentions WikiNodes, while discussing the Britannica app, noting that "This kind of visual array of related items isn’t a new idea. In fact, there is an iPad app called WikiNodes which does something similar for Wikipedia content."
- ^ AASL. June 2011. Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning.
- ^ edudemic.com, "The 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools Chosen By You" (August July 2010).
- ^ WikiNodes: app that presents a keyword to a word association game. Ideal for expedition Wikipedia! (Japanese) AppBank
- ^ "The interface presentation of information [is] similar to that of mind mapping, which I love." - Jess Seilheimer, Digilicious
- ^ "The interface is a freestyle drag and zoom bonanza that lets you jump between related articles easily." - iPad Apps
- ^ "[WikiNodes]...could redefine the way that you use Wikipedia on the iOS." - Blake Grundman, 148Apps
- ^ "WikiNodes takes the huge sprawling maze of information that is Wikipedia and organizes it into a spider web of knowledge." - Phil Hornshaw, Yahoo! News & Appolicious
- ^ To see history of prior features in the Apple app store, adjust the date on this App Annie page
- ^ WikiNodes for iPad – Making Wikipedia Fun to Explore by Patrick Jordan on May 11, 2011 / http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-app-reviews/wikinodes-for-ipad-making-wikipedia-fun-to-explore/