Personalising Learning - Selecting Aps

What fun I have had recently selecting the most appropriate aps for each of my nieces and nephews. The ease in which an application can be searched for, downloaded and instantly tried out to see if it is pitched at the right level is instantaneous. I am intrigued by what hooks each individual. The aps that give immediate gratification as to whether the individual has been successful or not seem to be a hit and played over and over again. A priceless moment was when my 3 year old niece whilst playing a counting game on my iphone beams ear to ear and looks up for a brief moment and says 'See Aunty it claps me'. On reflection it was so obvious she was hooked by the frequent feedback and gratification of achieving success, when she wasn't successful she tried again. The engagement levels I continue to observe are intense and sustained over long periods of time. The learning that is taking place is significant. Why is it significant I keep asking myself, I am coming to realise that the i pod touch/iphone uses all sensory modes at once, kinesthetic, auditory and visual, which we know is more likely to lead to long term memory. Loving this informal research!