Groupe Média TFO emerges as pre-schooler digital media star attracting more views than most competitors

Organization strengthens its leadership with the launch of EduLulu, a tool to help parents and teachers navigate the educational app-mosphere

TORONTO, April 21, 2014 /CNW/ - Groupe Média TFO an Ontario based public media enterprise that produces award-winning educational content in French, announced today it has recorded over 10 million digital views of its MiniTFO YouTube channel, a stunning 1,000 per cent increase in audience viewing over a 15 month period.

"TFO has clearly demonstrated that when it comes to creating educational products and services for children, their parents and educators, we are an emerging leader," said Groupe Média TFO CEO Glenn O'Farrell. "We have the capacity to provide more added value in developing digital education solutions.  This is where we found the inspiration for our most recent initiative, EduLulu, a newly launched browser-based app for parents and teachers."

TFO conceived and created EduLulu, the first independent application that rates and ranks English and French educational apps, giving parents and educators credible guidance regarding new entries in Google Play and Apple's App Store.  To access EduLulu, you simply enter the url (www.edululu.org) in your favorite browser's address bar on any device (tablet or smartphone). This is a ground-breaking, first of its kind Canadian service in digital learning, developed in collaboration with a panel of experts in the educational and technology spheres.

"Speaking as both a parent and a technology commentator, EduLulu is addressing a void with this new resource for both Apple and Android apps," said technology expert Marc Saltzman.  "It will be such a relief for parents to be able to go to one source and quickly find out if an interactive app is suitable for their children.  The fact that there are English and French apps makes it even more useful for Canadian families."

A recent survey by Harris-Decima revealed that 86 per cent of Canadian households with children have at least one mobile device and a similar number of the parents polled said that everything related to mobile educational applications in Canada was of interest to them.

In addition to smartphones, tablets became widely adopted in just a few years leaving parents of young children scrambling to identify quality apps that blend engagement, education and entertainment. EduLulu was designed to address this need; creating a destination for parents in search of stimulating and educational resources.

The EduLulu rating system

EduLulu ranks reviewed apps on a five 'bone' rating system. The Lulu in EduLulu is an animated dog and dogs love their bones so the more bones the better in Lulu's world.

The rating system criteria was developed by TFO Education with the assistance of Thierry Karsenti, the Canada Research Chair on information and communication technologies in education at Université de Montréal, with a panel of other education and technology experts. Evaluation teams of educators, parents and technology experts rank targeted apps and individual results are combined to produce a final rating based on the five bone scale and also provide anecdotal commentary.

EduLulu currently features 300 rated English and French apps and more than 100 reviewed apps will be added to the service every month. There will be more than 1,100 rated apps on EduLulu by December 2014. Parents and educators will be able to search rated apps by ratings, subject and children's age.

English and French apps

The people behind EduLulu are leaders in digital learning in French and have made EduLulu available in French as well as English. English and French educational apps are available on both the English and the French EduLulu sites. More than 20 per cent (approximately 7 million) of Canadians speak French as a first language and there are more than 340,000 children enrolled in French immersion programs across Canada. EduLulu is sure to gain fans both far and wide in Canada and beyond.

Digital Views analytics

Groupe  Média TFO is one of a small number of public media companies which have a globally accessible children's YouTube web site. Only RAI, the public Italian media company has a children's YouTube channel with more digital views than TFO.

Groupe Média TFO

For children and their world, who want a stimulating experience, Groupe Media TFO is a premium destination for award-winning educational and innovative content in French. Groupe Média TFO is breaking ground in digital learning and boasts some of the highest online engagement rates for educational children's content in the world. It operates TFO, MiniTFO and EduLulu, the first online service that rates and ranks English and French educational apps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIngav6nfuw

SOURCE: Groupe Média TFO

Pascal Arseneau, Groupe Média TFO, Chief Marketing Officer
[email protected], 416.557.5416

Adrienne Simic, Media Profile
[email protected], 416 342-1800