Here are some of our favourites.
Wikipedia App
It has its detractors but Wikipedia is still one of the biggest single free resources on the Internet for finding out about stuff, everything from wind farms and microprocessors to the life and times of Napoleon and the history of Liverpool FC. You can also download Wikipedia’s app for free which means you can find those facts just as quickly wherever you are.
Coursera
If you’re looking for a course and want to study online, you can pick and choose from thousands on Coursera. Join up and you can learn at your own pace, communicate with other students, and get a deeper understanding of your subject area.
Study Blue
Flash cards are a great way to learn new information and can be used practically anywhere to get some valuable study time in. Study Blue is an app that allows you to make your own tailored cards or use one of the many thousands of collections that other learners have put up on the site.
Duolinguo
Duoliguo is a free, brilliant way to get yourself talking another language without having to fork out for expensive lessons. If you’re struggling in class or are an older student who wants to visit a new country, then this app’s interactive platform will have you up and running in no time. There are bite size lessons that you can do almost anywhere, gradually building up your vocabulary so you can hold your own when heading abroad.
Quizlet
If you want a host of flashcards, quizzes, tests and games that help you learn better, this interactive app from Quizlet should have everything you need. It’s a favourite with teachers as well as students and adds a new dimension to teaching and learning for all ages, attracting people from across the globe.
Dropbox
Dropbox means that you’ll never have an excuse for forgetting your homework again. You can share files and information across different devices and you can work with other students on a range of projects. It’s free to download for both android and iPhone and is one of the most popular file sharing programs around.
Luminosity
If you want to boost your brainpower, supercharge your memory or simply test yourself on some mind blowing games, luminosity is an app for all ages. Work out your baseline and then see if you can improve over the weeks to come, gradually increasing difficulty and adding power to those little grey cells.
MindMeister
Need to think out of the box or learn in a totally different way, MindMeister allows you to get to grips with mind mapping, a great way to develop ideas, become more creative and share with your friends. It’s also a pretty good tool for learning new things like languages.
You can find an app for almost anything nowadays and a lot of them are free. If you have a smartphone or tablet, all you need to do is download and start learning a whole new skill.