In today’s fast-paced digital world, the way we learn is evolving rapidly. Traditional classrooms are now complemented, and in many cases replaced, by online learning platforms and resources. With the advent of technology, learning has become more accessible, flexible, and tailored to individual needs. One of the driving forces behind this transformation is the abundance of online learning apps. These apps are not just convenient but can also make your learning journey more engaging and efficient (London School of Economics and Political Science, n.d.).
Duolingo – Mastering New Languages
Learning a new language is a valuable skill that can open doors both personally and professionally. Duolingo is a renowned language learning app that offers an interactive and gamified approach to language acquisition. With a wide range of languages available, from Spanish and French to Mandarin and Swahili, Duolingo offers bite-sized lessons, making it perfect for learners of all levels. Its engaging exercises, quizzes, and progress tracking keep learners motivated and on track to achieve fluency (Duolingo Inc., 2015; Duolingo – Learn a Language for Free @Duolingo, n.d.).
Coursera – World-Class Courses at Your Fingertips
Coursera is a leading online learning platform that partners with universities and institutions worldwide to provide access to high-quality courses. Whether you’re interested in data science, humanities, or business, Coursera offers a vast array of courses, certificates, and degrees. The app’s user-friendly interface allows you to learn at your own pace, making it a flexible choice for working professionals and busy students. Coursera’s courses are often created and taught by professors from top universities, ensuring a world-class learning experience (Leighton & Pugachevsky, 2022).
Khan Academy – Empowering Lifelong Learners
Khan Academy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Their app covers a wide range of subjects, making it an invaluable resource for students of all ages. Whether you need help with math, science, history, or even test preparation, Khan Academy offers well-structured lessons, practice exercises, and video tutorials that simplify complex concepts. It’s an excellent tool for both students and lifelong learners (Singh, 2023; Code.org | Computing | Khan Academy, n.d.).
Anki – The Power of Spaced Repetition
Anki is a flashcard app that employs the concept of spaced repetition to help users memorize and retain information effectively. The app allows you to create your own flashcards or access shared decks on various subjects. Anki intelligently schedules flashcards for review based on how well you remember them, optimizing your learning process. This app is particularly popular among medical students but can benefit anyone seeking to improve their memory and recall abilities (Anki – Powerful, Intelligent Flashcards, n.d.).
Todoist – Taming the Chaos of Task Management
Effective learning often involves staying organized and managing your time efficiently. Todoist is a task management app that can help you stay on top of assignments, project deadlines, and study schedules. With its user-friendly interface and cross-platform compatibility, Todoist makes it easy to create to-do lists, set due dates, and prioritize tasks. The app’s productivity features ensure you can allocate sufficient time for learning and minimize distractions (Software Advice, n.d.).
Quizlet – Mastering Flashcards and Quizzes
Quizlet is a versatile study app that offers flashcards, quizzes, and various learning games. It’s a favorite among students for its vast collection of user-generated study materials on a wide range of subjects. Whether you’re preparing for a biology exam or learning historical facts, Quizlet provides a platform to create, share, and study with digital flashcards. Additionally, its quiz feature allows you to test your knowledge and reinforce your learning effectively (Bhutta, 2019).
TED – Inspiring Talks and Ideas
TED is a global platform known for its captivating and thought-provoking talks on diverse topics. The TED app offers access to a vast library of inspiring talks and presentations by experts, innovators, and thought leaders from around the world. These talks can be a valuable source of knowledge and motivation, making them an excellent addition to your learning journey. Whether you’re interested in science, technology, or personal development, TED has something for everyone (How TED Works, n.d.).
Forest – Defeat Procrastination and Stay Focused
One of the biggest challenges in effective learning is overcoming procrastination and maintaining focus. Forest is a unique app that employs gamification to help you stay on track. You set a timer for a specific study or work session, and as the timer runs, a virtual tree grows. If you leave the app to check your phone or browse the web, your tree withers. Over time, you can grow a virtual forest by staying focused. It’s a fun and effective way to build concentration and reduce distractions during your study sessions (AppGrooves, 2021).
Wolfram Alpha – Your Computational Knowledge Engine
For students in STEM fields or anyone requiring mathematical and scientific assistance, Wolfram Alpha is an invaluable tool. It’s more than just a calculator; it’s a computational knowledge engine. You can input mathematical equations, solve complex problems, explore scientific data, and access step-by-step solutions to a wide range of queries. Wolfram Alpha empowers learners by providing instant access to computational knowledge, making it an indispensable resource for math and science enthusiasts (Team, 2009).
Notion – Ultimate Note-Taking and Organization
Notion is a versatile app that combines note-taking, project management, and organization into one powerful tool. It’s highly customizable, allowing you to create databases, to-do lists, calendars, and more to suit your unique learning needs. Notion can be used for collaborative projects, personal journaling, or academic research. Its flexibility makes it an excellent choice for students and professionals seeking a comprehensive platform for managing information and staying organized (Notion Labs, Inc. Company Profile: Financials, Valuation, and Growth, n.d.).
Evernote – Your Digital Notebook
Evernote is a versatile note-taking app that allows you to capture and organize ideas, notes, and documents in one place. Its powerful search capabilities and cloud syncing ensure that your notes are accessible anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re jotting down lecture notes, saving web articles, or brainstorming ideas for your next project, Evernote keeps your thoughts organized and easily retrievable (Prokopets, 2019).
Office Lens – The Scanner in Your Pocket
Office Lens is a handy app by Microsoft that turns your smartphone into a portable scanner. It’s an excellent tool for digitizing handwritten notes, printed documents, whiteboard sketches, and even business cards. Once scanned, you can save your documents to various formats, such as PDF or Word, and easily share or store them. Office Lens ensures you never lose important physical documents and have them at your fingertips for reference (Singh, 2023; Microsoft Lens for Android – Microsoft Support, n.d.).
PhotoMath – Math Problem Solver in Your Pocket
Struggling with math problems? PhotoMath can be a lifesaver. Simply point your smartphone’s camera at a math equation, and the app will not only solve it but also provide step-by-step explanations. It’s a fantastic learning tool for understanding complex math concepts and gaining confidence in your problem-solving abilities (EdSurge, 2018).
Grammarly – Your Writing Assistant
Effective communication is a fundamental skill in education and beyond. Grammarly is a renowned writing assistant that checks your writing for grammatical errors, suggests improvements, and even provides style recommendations. Whether you’re writing essays, reports, or emails, Grammarly helps you enhance your writing and ensure clear and error-free communication (Doyle, 2022).
myHomework Student Planner – Stay Organized with Ease
Staying organized is key to effective learning. myHomework Student Planner is a user-friendly app that helps you keep track of assignments, due dates, and class schedules. With features like reminders and calendar integration, it ensures you never miss an important deadline or forget about an upcoming exam. Stay on top of your academic responsibilities and reduce stress with this essential planner app (London School of Economics and Political Science, n.d.; MyHomework Student Planner, n.d.).
The world of online learning apps offers a vast and diverse array of tools to enhance your learning experience. Whether you’re a student looking to excel in your studies or a lifelong learner seeking to expand your knowledge, these must-have apps cater to various subjects and learning styles. Harness the power of technology to make your learning journey more engaging, efficient, and rewarding. With the right apps at your disposal, the pursuit of knowledge becomes an exciting and accessible adventure. Happy learning!
References:
Anki – powerful, intelligent flashcards. (n.d.). https://apps.ankiweb.net/#ios
AppGrooves. (2021, December 15). Forest App is Good, But is it Good Enough for You? 3 Alternative Focus Apps. Medium. https://medium.com/@AppGrooves/forest-app-is-good-but-is-it-good-enough-for-you-3-alternative-focus-apps-1d63ed7eb79a
Bhutta, F. (2019, January 18). Quizlet reaches 50 Million Users milestone – TechEngage. TechEngage®. https://techengage.com/quizlet-50-million-users-reached/
Code.org | Computing | Khan Academy. (n.d.). Khan Academy. https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/code-org
Doyle, A. (2022). What is grammarly? The Balance. https://www.thebalancemoney.com/grammarly-proofreading-and-grammar-checker-review-2062231
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Duolingo Inc. (2015). Duolingo. The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 1. https://www.tesl-ej.org/pdf/ej73/m1.pdf
EdSurge. (2018, December 27). Mobile app Photomath raises $6 million in Series A. EdSurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-11-07-mobile-app-photomath-raises-6-million-in-series-a
How TED works. (n.d.). TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/how-ted-works
Leighton, M., & Pugachevsky, J. (2022). Coursera is one of the top online learning platforms, offering everything from free Yale courses to career programs from Google. Here’s how to navigate choosing classes or programs. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/learning/what-is-coursera
London School of Economics and Political Science. (n.d.). 10 best study apps for students. LSE. https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/Assets/Articles/10-best-apps-for-students
Microsoft Lens for Android – Microsoft Support. (n.d.). https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/microsoft-lens-for-android-ec124207-0049-4201-afaf-b5874a8e6f2b
MyHomework Student Planner. (n.d.). Chrome Web Store. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/myhomework-student-planne/pembccdigcahnckbjcbehhcacplbbomj#:~:text=myHomework%20is%20a%20digital%20student,never%20forget%20an%20assignment%20again!
Notion Labs, Inc. Company Profile: Financials, Valuation, and growth. (n.d.). PrivCo. https://system.privco.com/company/notion-labs
Prokopets, M. (2019). What is Evernote? and should you use it? Nira. https://nira.com/what-is-evernote/
Singh, H. (2023, May 2). 30+ Best Useful Apps for Students in 2023 [College & School]. The NineHertz: https://theninehertz.com/blog/top-apps/best-apps-for-students
Software Advice. (n.d.). The best “to do” tracker around! [Video]. Software Advice. https://www.softwareadvice.com/project-management/todoist-profile/
Team, W. L. (2009, May 8). So Much for A Quiet Launch—Wolfram|Alpha Blog. https://blog.wolframalpha.com/2009/05/08/so-much-for-a-quiet-launch/
Related articles:
https://info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/Assets/Articles/10-best-apps-for-students
https://theninehertz.com/blog/top-apps/best-apps-for-students
Written by: Dyan Lorizze Amarillo