Edmodo is a social learning network for teachers, students, and parents.

Design

Edmodo's user interface

User interface

The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...

 has been described as similar to Facebook

Facebook

Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...

. Using Edmodo, teachers can post grades and assign homework to students. Students can then submit the homework and view their grade. The transmission is fast and paper-less. Teachers eliminate crossposting

Crossposting

Crossposting is the act of posting the same message to multiple information channels; forums, mailing lists, or newsgroups. Crossposting is perceived as inconsiderate, poor etiquette and is banned from Usenet newsgroups and virtually all email lists...

 through the creation of sub-groups within a course. After each course period is completed the teacher closes out the network and creates a new one for the next course.

Groups

Groups are for of a student's classes in Edmodo. Whenever a teacher posts to the group, it shows up as an alert in the notification box. Teachers and other students can also send you direct messages, and two newer of the newer features are quizzes made up of open-ended or multiple-choice questions and badges, which a teacher can assign to a student.

History

Edmodo was founded by Nicolas Borg and Jeff O'Hara, technologists working at separate schools in the Chicago area, as a secure microblogging

Microblogging

Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically smaller in both actual and aggregate file size...

medium for students and teachers. In 2010 Edmodo launched "subject" and "publisher" communities, a digital media library, a help center, and a parent accounts for communicating with teachers, parents, and students.