# Equity Maps – Standard — Classroom Discussion Mapping

> Classroom discussion mapping and analytics tool for educators. (iPhone/iPad app by David Nelson.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/equity-maps-standard/id1027153378 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [David Nelson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1027153377)
- Category: Education, Business
- Price: $1.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.79/5 from 72 App Store ratings · 16 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.1 · 56 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2016-05-24
- Data updated: 2026-09-08
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/equity-maps-standard/id1027153378/reviews.md

## What is Equity Maps?

• Elevate the voices in the room -- help students to reflect & grow! 
• Provide Instant Feedback – Nurture Reflection – Ignite Collaboration – Promote Equity
• Created by teachers, for teachers & their students. 

Ideal for Socratic seminars, Spider Web™ & Harkness® (*) discussions, Literature Circles, Dialogic lesson designs, or anytime students interact.

Effortlessly chart & record students’ interactions to graphically illustrate levels & types of participation. Spur deeper reflection with the discussion maps, instant analytics & animated playback at multiple speeds.

NEW IN PREMIUM! – Export audio & class analytics – Post in your LMS or email directly to your students along with their talk time, Checknotes of types of contributions, the discussion map, & your personal feedback (beta).

STANDARD FEATURES:

• Up to 20 participants in any class w/open seating options
• Quick edit features to create groups and classes.
• Playback the discussion maps in real time or fast forward
• Select & listen to any speaker & view notes linked to their participation
• Individual/Group analytics – Include/Exclude participants from the data to see how the dynamics change

PREMIUM FEATURES available with in-app upgrade or by downloading Premium today:

• Up to 40 participants
• Add Identity Markers to track data by groups of students
• Export Audio or analytics via email to students or post in LMS or export to CSV (beta)
• Track student contributions w/ enhanced Checknotes & access the 17 templates
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CONFERENCE WITH YOUR STUDENTS OR TEACHERS:

• Debrief w/students individually! Review contributions of any one student in the improved participant analytics: see each time the student spoke & playback what they said, or play from the person who spoke before/after, review notations for that student, participation data, or Checknotes… all on one screen! 

• Give better feedback! Take notes or write comments during or after the discussion that link directly to the student speaking and share with them immediately after.
	
• Identify Markers: customize the groups w/n your class that you’d like to measure such as grade level, language level, race, seating area, or anything you’d like to see.

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REFLECTIVE DATA AT YOUR FINGERTIPS:

• Simply tap on the participants’ icons when they speak & Equity Maps will do the rest by visually charting the interactions & calculating levels of participation. 

• Track the nature of each participant's contributions with Checknotes, choose among the 17 templates or create your own, or take notes during the discussion that attach to the speaker for review afterward.

• The “Feedback Frames” provide key statistics for teachers, students or group members: time spoken, times spoken, gender equity, or customize anything you’d like to measure. 

TEACHERS:
• Enhance your Socratic Seminars, Literature Circles, Harkness®(*) discussions, or full classroom discussions
• Monitor & assess Common Core Speaking & Listening Standards, ATL, Dialogic lessons, or seminar criteria
• Promote student involvement & self-reflection
• Perfect for schools with VPP for 50% discount

FACILITATORS & GROUP LEADERS:
• Encourage deeper reflection of your group’s goals, norms & processes
• Give your boss an Equity Check & share how equitable your last meeting was
• Critical Friends Group® coaches & facilitators (CFG work) or in PLCs

ADMINISTRATORS & INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES:
• Provide teachers an “image” of their classroom instruction like they’ve never seen before!
• Revitalize reflective practices for teachers, while reducing anxiety of post-observation meetings
• Make your classroom observations more meaningful & reflective

------
Equity Maps® is a registered trademark at the USPTO / U.S. Pat. No 10,553,129

*Equity Maps has been developed completely independent of Phillips Exeter Academy & is not affiliated in any way with the academy. 

Critical Friends Group® is a registered trademark of the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF®)

## Key features

- Visualize student participation
- Instant feedback and analytics
- Animated playback of discussions
- Track contribution types
- Create custom identity markers
- Export audio and analytics (Premium)

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $1.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Equity Maps Premium v5.3 | $7.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 16)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/equity-maps-standard/id1027153378/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Amazing data on discussions.

*2022-12-10*

I have never seen a tool like Equity Maps before.  It allows teacher to collect critical data on all aspects of a verbal discussion.   I recently took a course on how to improve class discussions and one key piece is to reflect on it after and Equity Maps helps you do that very well.

### 5/5 — Elementary Socratic Seminars will never be the same!

*2020-12-09*

This app has been so useful in helping my students develop their skills and proficiency in Socratic Seminars. They find it highly motivational to see the connections as they're made and we’ve started using it in the goal setting and reflection phases as well. My principal came in when we were using it and was blown away by how we were using the data it provides. My students love to look at past feedback frames to see their growth over time. I highly recommend this app to anyone looking to delve deeper into Socratic Seminars and see great progress in the students’ ability to goal set and grow academically.

### 5/5 — Great Research Tool

*2019-10-17*

This app is really mind blowing. If you are interested in the action research in classroom, this is a must-have app.

### 5/5 — My favorite app

*2019-03-08*

Equity Maps is my favorite app right now. It does everything I need to keep track of discussions and seminars. My students love to replay seminars and look at the various participation graphs. I love the fact that I can record the audio for our discussions for those times when I write report cards or need some reminders about specific students. A fantastic app that more teachers should use!

### 4/5 — So many possibilities...

*2019-02-21*

I’m looking forward to trialling this app tomorrow with my class! Can not wait to get the custom layout option so I can input my class tables and have the layout on the screen match. Some time soon please.

### 5/5 — Great for classroom use

*2018-10-02*

Equity Maps is an ideal tool for tracking and data collection for class discussions. For teachers who are looking for a way to assess and provide feedback to students during discussion, Equity Maps has a host of features to make this job much easier.

### 4/5 — Love almost everything, but...

*2018-08-10*

I'm looking forward to using this in the Harkness discussions in my English class this year, however, there are two features I would love to see developed in the future. First, the ability to produce a shareable report from the analytics to include with my students' rubrics so that they know what to work on would be really helpful. Second, I usually take notes on what each individual student contributes; it would be great it that were an option when clicking on the check notes for each participant. Otherwise, this app has some terrific features!

### 5/5 — Best Discussion App!

*2018-01-27*

I have been looking for an app like this for many years! 

Equity Maps is an amazing app for mapping conversations and then tracking various points of data. It’s easy to set up and use, which I appreciate as a busy middle school teacher and seminar facilitator. After initially mapping the discussion, there are a number of excellent debriefing tools available. My students love watching a sped-up replay of the discussion!

There are excellent pre-loaded templates for tracking different aspects of participation based on tuning protocols, Socratic seminars, Harkness-style discussions, and many more.  By tracking important and relevant data, teachers can focus on specific skills, set clearer individual and group goals, and even write better report cards.

Essentially, this is a perfect app for all class discussions!

As a Socratic seminar expert myself, if I designed an app, it would basically be this one!

### 5/5 — Great app for teachers!

*2017-11-26*

This is an extremely useful app for teachers. I used the beta version as well, and I am really impressed by the final version. It was clearly designed by a classroom teacher. My Grade 10 English students were surprised by the equity charts, and I noticed a big difference during the follow-up Socratic seminar. I was also impressed by how much this app helped me to grade classroom discussions. The new update is excellent—the ability to comment while recording means that I no longer need to keep written or typed notes. I am able to pay more attention to the class seminar.

### 5/5 — Socratic Seminar rocked - will use for small groups.

*2017-09-26*

I borrowed this app to use with my class - when I projected the stats w/n the feedback frames, the students were glued to the screen.  "Koastas, look how much you spoke!" said one student; "I wanted to say more but didn't have a chance," said another.  Will add Equity Maps to the other iPads in class and let the students chart their small breakout group discussions and I will be able to listen after.  This will free them up to have their own space, but also allow me to see where they are at with their understanding of the text.  Looking forward to seeing what you add next. Would be great to be able to share the report frames.

## Frequently asked questions about Equity Maps

### What is Equity Maps used for?

Equity Maps is used to visually chart and record student interactions during classroom discussions. It helps educators understand participation levels, nurture reflection, and promote equity among students.

### How does Equity Maps help teachers?

Teachers can use Equity Maps to monitor and assess speaking and listening standards, identify participation patterns, and provide targeted feedback to students. The app offers analytics and playback features to debrief with students individually or in groups.

### What are the standard features of Equity Maps?

Standard features include support for up to 20 participants, quick group and class creation, real-time playback of discussion maps, the ability to listen to individual speakers, and individual/group analytics. Participants can also be included or excluded from data analysis.

### What are the benefits of the Premium version of Equity Maps?

The Premium version increases participant capacity to 40, allows for adding Identity Markers to track data by specific student groups, and enables exporting audio and analytics via email or LMS. It also includes enhanced Checknotes and access to 17 templates.

### Can Equity Maps be used for different types of discussions?

Yes, Equity Maps is ideal for Socratic seminars, Spider Web™ & Harkness® discussions, Literature Circles, and Dialogic lesson designs, or any activity where students interact.

### What devices does Equity Maps support?

Equity Maps is currently supported on iPads, allowing educators to utilize the app within their classroom environment.

### How often is Equity Maps updated?

The app was last updated on October 13, 2025, indicating ongoing development and support from the developer.

### What is the age rating for Equity Maps?

Equity Maps has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for use in educational settings with young learners and above.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.0 — 2025-10-13

We've optimized the screen size and improved the mapping and webbing - even more natural. 
Add feedback following the meeting.
Easy to upgrade to premium, where you can access even more features, without a subscription fee.

### 5.8 — 2024-04-21

Try Standard, and once you upgrade to Premium, you can have access to a wide range of existing features: 
• Track contributions with Checknotes
• Customize your feedback to students and share automatically via email or post to LMS
• Export sessions to another Premium user
• Track participation by subgroups within your class
• and much, much, more!
• We removed some bugs that caused occasional crashes
• Enabled users to use their AirPods duirng playback.

### 5.7 — 2024-03-04

Try Standard, and once you upgrade to Premium, you can have access to a wide range of existing features: 
• Track contributions with Checknotes
• Customize your feedback to students and share automatically via email or post to LMS
• Export sessions to another Premium user
• Track participation by subgroups within your class
• and much, much, more!

### 5.6 — 2023-10-13

Fixed the problem with some icons sticking to the upper left. Sorry for the troubles. 
Thanks to all Equity Maps users!

### 5.5 — 2023-10-09

Fixed a bug - should be a smoother ride now. 
Thanks to all Equity Maps users!

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## More apps by David Nelson

- [Equity Maps - Premium](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/equity-maps-premium/id1461134486)

All apps by David Nelson: https://appshunter.io/developer/1027153377

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-08.*
