Self-directed and social learning will undeniably be at the foundation of any sort of future learning. There are numerous apps available to assist in self-directed learning and promote life long learning.
Below are just some of the apps that promote self directed learning. These apps presented below help learners organize and take control of the learning they are acquiring in a formal learning setting (such as school or higher education). Other apps are designed to support SGL in informal learning processes (see the Learn more section below for more information on these apps).
Study planner apps
Using this kind of app can help get you into the habit of managing your time effectively. Apart from keeping track of lectures and tutorials, study planner apps allow you to organize study tasks, assignments and projects according to the course schedules; furthermore, allows you to set your study priorities. These apps can also provide timely reminders to complete tasks and keep a record of your course grades.
- IStudyPlan (Android, iPhone)
- iStudiezPro (Mac, Android, Windows)
- My Study Life (Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows)
Flashcard apps
These apps are excellentl revision aids. After identifying key terminology in your courses, you can create flashcards for important concepts and later be tested on your knoweldge through a variety of quizzes. Progress is tracked and incorrect answers are retested. You can browse and use millions of flashcards made by other learners along with your own.
- StudyBlue (iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, Blackberry)
- Quizlet (iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows)
- gFlash+ (iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, Blackberry)
Bibliography apps
For higher education students, these apps can speed up the process of generating citations and compiling reference lists. With these apps, you can scan metadata and they will automatically generate references in several styles, e.g. APA, MLA and Chicago.
- EasyBib (iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows)
- Zotero (Chrome, Safari, IE, Firefox, iPad/iPhone [Zotpad])
- Mendeley (Any Web browser, Mac, iPad, iPhone,Windows phone, Kindle Fire)
Note-making apps
These apps help you to collect information on academic topics from anywhere onto single place. This information compiled using forms such as images, web pages and audio/video clips. The information can then be edited, annotated, fand even shared with other students.
- Evernote (Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, Safari, Chrome)
- OneNote (Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, Kindle Fire)
Learning Activity:
- Choose at least 3 apps from the list above or others you know about.
- Explore 3 and rate them out of 5 in terms of how well you think these apps promote (or do not promote) self-directed learning and provide a reason.
- Post under the class forum discussion.
Learn more:
As stated above, the apps are designed to promote self-directed learning to support formal learning environments. That being said, there are numerous apps that allow for self-directed learning in a more informal setting and promote one to take initiative when setting up their own inquiry-based projects.