Smartphones are phenomenal pieces of hardware that have gradually come to displace many of the consumer electronics we used to carry around at the turn of the millennium, from mp3 players to cameras and even Gameboys. Yet in our tendency to think of the smartphone as the ultimate entertainment device, we can sometimes forget how useful it can be when we use it for matter of study.
There are hundreds of apps and online communities now available for mobile devices to help you do everything from meditation to track habits. Smartphones can also help you to study cerebral activities, from learning new languages or the rules of sophisticated games, to full-blown academic subjects.
Following greater investment in eLearning resources in recent years, there’s never been a better time to tackle whatever field of expertise you’ve always wondered about. Below we’re going to look at the top ways you can use your smartphone to learn all manner of subjects through the power of eLearning.
Online Research
We all use search engines every day to answer a myriad of questions and look up diverse information, but to make the most of this process requires some more careful consideration. As there’s no strict limits on who can put information on the internet, we can often be hampered in our quest to learn a subject by inaccurate or misleading resources.
Fortunately, this is easily fixed by electing to only gather information from trusted sources. For example, those wanting to learn the rules of the classic card game poker would be best served by sticking to a platform like PokerStars and other industry leaders when looking to pick up the basics. Likewise, budding programmers endeavoring to pick up Javascript will waste no time by jumping into the courses hosted by the reputable site Codecademy.
Education Apps
When one thinks of learning on a smartphone, the mind turns to apps. This is only natural, as we’ve become conditioned to assume there must be a specialist app available in any category we could wish for.
It’s certainly true that there are a huge number of educational and eLearning apps available on both the Play Store and App Store. Of course there’s language apps like Duolingo, which gamifies the process of picking up a language and has proven to be among the most popular apps in the world.
However, if you look around you’ll find many more compelling specialist services such as Brilliant, which is a STEM-focused platform that offers curated classes on applied logic, mathematics and engineering principles.
eLearning Platforms
Recent years have seen the rise in popularity of dedicated eLearning platforms, of which the leading lights are SkillShare and Udemy. Both of these offer their users over 30,000 distinct courses assembled by experts in every conceivable field.
The two sites work slightly differently, so it can be good to do some research beforehand before biting the bullet. SkillShare, for example, offers up its entire catalogue of courses in exchange for a yearly subscription fee. This makes it a good choice for those who are more interested in learning an eclectic array of subjects.
What’s more, SkillShare is the preferred choice for those who prefer a more structured curriculum, as the courses are generally structured along the lines of a project, with coursework and homework throughout.
Udemy, conversely, is more open ended. For one, anyone can browse Udemy’s catalogue and simply purchase the courses they want for a single upfront cost. For those looking to specialize in certain subjects, this may prove to be the best route to take.
While Udemy offers interactive feedback with course creators throughout, it is less focused on coursework. This gives greater license and creativity to its teachers to craft and price their offerings in ways that makes the most sense to them.
Using a combination of high quality online information, educational apps, and dedicated eLearning platforms, you’ll be well equipped to learn almost any subject online.
