Top 10 education apps that could help you achieve top grades – including Evernote and BBC Bitesize
Forget writing down revision notes on flash cards or sticking your timetable to the wall. Here we look at 10 education apps that can help you with your education. Whether you are revising for GCSEs or working towards a degree, you’re sure to find something suitable to help you achieve the best grades. Chris Price reports…
For learning
Oxford Dictionary of English
You could carry a dictionary around with you. Or you could use Google each time you read a word you’re not sure about. However, a far better option is to download the Oxford Dictionary instead, especially as the basic version is free. The mobile version of the Oxford University Press’ Oxford English Dictionary, this app features several advanced search and language tools. These include search autocomplete to help you find words quickly by displaying predictions as you type. There’s also a camera search that looks up words in the camera viewfinder and displays results in a few seconds. The premium version doesn’t have any ads and provides audio pronunciation of words. However, at £20 it is quite pricey. You can download on Google Play for Android here or for Apple devices here.
NASA
Want to know more about the solar system? Then the NASA app is a great place to start. Here you can find out loads of information about the planets as well as all of NASA’s space missions by navigating through videos, photos, live feeds, and text within the NASA App. For example you can watch the latest NASA events unfold in real-time on NASA TV or take a look at a live view of the earth from the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) experiment on the ISS. The NASA app is available free of charge. Download for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Kindle Fire, Fire TV and Roku.
For getting organised
Available free of charge for iOS (Apple) here or for Android here, My Study Life is a fairly basic but essential app to help you get organised. Less hassle than a paper planner, My Study Life allows you to store all of your key information in one place including your timetable, exams and homework. For example, you can see when homework is due – or overdue – and view your weekly timetable in a colour coded planner. You can even add revision tasks for a specific exam. What’s more, because information is stored in the cloud, it can be accessed on several devices. You can also view information from the app when you are in offline mode.
Take charge of your schedule with this planner for students. Available for various smart devices (iOS, Android) as well as for Mac and Windows PC users, iStudiez Pro Legend helps students track their schedules, assignments, and grades all in one place. Not sure when your French homework is due or when your next exam is? Just consult your iStudiez app. As long as you input the dates and information as you go along, this app will take care of the rest for you. What’s more you can integrate the app’s calendar to other calendar apps, like Google Calendar. The mobile version costs a one-time fee of £2.99, while the computer version is £9.99.
For making notes
Regarded as one of the the best note-taking and life organising apps out there, Evernote allows you to type notes, add attachments, clip web pages and record memos all in one place. You can use it to make personal checklists for organising your thoughts. You can also use it for setting reminders and planning for exams. While the basic version with 60MB of uploads per month and syncing for two devices is available for free, if you want all the functionality then you will need to invest in Evernote Premium. This currently costs $7.99 a month or $69.99 annually. Available on Apple iOS here and for Android here.
For revision
Quizlet Flashcards
Before apps even existed if you wanted flash cards for revision you would have to buy them from your local stationery shop. Not anymore. With Quizlet you can either create your own digital flashcards or choose from millions of others created by students. You can share your flashcards with classmates, put your memory to the test with ‘Write’ or race against the clock in a game of ‘Match’. A basic version of Quizlet is available for free. However, if you want full functionality then you will need to subscribe to Quizlet Plus for £1.42 a month or £16.99 a year. This allows you to add images to your sets, study without adverts and access content when you are offline. You can get Quizlet Flashcards from iTunes for Apple devices or from the Google Play store for Android.
BBC Bitesize – Revision
If you’re aged 14-16 (Year 10 and 11) and studying for your GCSEs, TGAU, Nationals or Highers, this BBC Bitesize revision app is for you. Available for Android/Apple smartphones and tablets, it has all of the information you need, broken down into bite-sized chunks, wherever and whenever you need it. It now includes flashcards for the new 9-1 GCSEs in Maths, English, Biology and Chemistry. And if you sign it to set your subjects and exam board you will also only see content that is relevant to you. What’s more it’s completely free and there aren’t any in-app purchases either. That’s unlike most education apps from commercial providers! Available on Android here and Apple iOS here.
For exams
This free app app will help to ensure you keep track of all your upcoming exams. Need to know exactly when your chemistry exam is? No problem. Just open up Exam Countdown Lite and see exactly how many months, weeks, days and minutes it is away! Usefully, you can customise the colours used for each subject and there are 400 different icons to choose from. You can also add notes to exams and tests and share your exams schedule on social media should you choose. Available for both iOS and Android users, the app is a must-have for any school or college student. Available for Apple and Android.
For dictation
Dragon Anywhere
Need to make some revision notes or write an essay, but don’t want to write them down? Or maybe you can’t because you’ve broken your arm. Then one option is to use a dictation app such as Dragon Anywhere from Nuance Communications. Just speak into the app and it will turn your words into text for you. Because it adapts to your voice, it becomes more accurate the more you use it. You can also add custom words to the dictionary so it understands any specific terminology you may use. The only downside is that it’s a little pricey especially now that Google has its own type with voice feature – see more information here. However, Dragon Anywhere is arguably much better quality. It costs £9.99 after a month’s free trial or £99.99 for 12 months. Available for iOS (Apple devices) from here or for Android here.
For writing essays
Cite This For Me – Website, Chrome Extension
Formerly an app called RefMe, Cite This For Me is now a website and browser extension for those at university who need to correctly reference their sources. With this simple tool you can create website citations in the APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard referencing styles at the click of a button. Simply browse to the page you wish to cite and click the button to generate a correctly formatted citation. Then copy-and-paste the citation into your assignment, or add it to your online bibliography for safe keeping until later. You can also add other sources (like books, journals, and newspapers). Sources are cited using the following format editions: APA: 6th edition, Chicago: 16th edition, MLA: 7th edition, Harvard: N/A
