Review: LEED Green Associate Test Prep Tools for iPhone and iPod
ByWhen studying for my LEED NC test, I would have loved to have been able to have instant access to flashcards and practice tests without having to drag my shoebox full of printed flashcards and reams of tests around with me.
Candidates for the LEED Green Associate credential with iPhones or iPods now have access to prep tools they can take with them anywhere in their pockets. They’re perfect for stealing a few minutes to study during commutes, when waiting in line or whenever the opportunity arises.
Today, we’re going to look at two such applications for the iPhone and iPod that have recently been released.
EcoFlash LEED Flash Cards
EcoFlash’s application, priced at $19.99, is a traditional front/back virtual flashcard. Notable features of the application are (i) a choice between automatically shuffling the cards each time you launch the application or remembeing where you left off, and (ii) the ability to tag/bookmark certain cards for a rapid return (they call if Leafmarking). At the time this post was written, the application included 518 flashcards.
GBES LEED Flash Cards
Green Building Education Services’ version, priced at $34.99, has two components. First, a series of front and back flash cards. This app will also remember where you left off, but doesn’t seem to have the tagging feature. With only 200 flash cards at the time this post was written, it falls short of the sheer volume in the EcoFlash app. However, the second component of the application, a 100-question practice exam, makes up for it. The questions are randomly shuffled after each exam session is completed, but the an exam session can be spread out over multiple sittings.
If I’m choosing, it’s a toss up. Having more flashcards (the EcoFlash application) obviously allows you to take more material with you on the go. On the other hand, a practice test in the palm of your hand (the GBES application) is really attractive in the days before taking the test.
It will be interesting to see how these applications look and what additional bells and whistles they contain at their next update. Stay tuned.
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1 Comments
July 16th, 2009 at 6:42 am
I am completely biased, because I helped develop the Ecoflash app, but I would also like to mention that our app allows you to sort which cards you review by category (such as LEED Process, Water Management, etc.) or by question type (such as definitions, facts and figures, referenced standards, etc.). Or you can chose to go through the entire series of 518 cards. We also tried to really focus on user interface, so that you can use the great touch features of an iPhone/iPod to flip cards go to the next card or even shake your phone to reshuffle the deck!
Thanks for the great review!