8 FREE Learning and Study Resources for Online Learners
We shall neither fail nor falter; we shall not weaken or tire...give us the tools and we will finish the job. — Winston Churchill
Here’s a Selection of 8 Free Online Study and Learning Resources to Test Drive Now!
1. digitallearn.org
We tend to assume that everyone knows computers backwards and forwards. Still, digitallearn.org has you covered if you would like to brush up for free on such topics as search engines, online scams, internet privacy, or Skype. As they state on their website:
If you are new to computers, haven't used them for a while, are a little unsure and uncomfortable, or just need a bit of a refresher, we have the tools to help you tackle technology at your own pace and gain the confidence you need to succeed.
https://www.digitallearn.org/courses
2. intelligent.com
As they say on their website:
Discover proven ways to study not just harder but smarter. Learn how you can create a detailed study plan, maximize the time you spend studying, take meaningful notes, and save time when preparing for exams—all while keeping stress levels low and your grades high.
3. gutenberg.org
Here’s what they say on their website:
Project Gutenberg offers over 54,000 free eBooks: Choose among free epub books, free kindle books, download them or read them online. You will find the world's great literature here, especially older works for which copyright has expired. We digitized and diligently proofread them with the help of thousands of volunteers.
No fee or registration is required, but if you find Project Gutenberg useful, we kindly ask you to donate a small amount, so we can digitize more books, maintain our online presence, and improve Project Gutenberg programs and offerings.
4. Grammar Girl
Grammar Girl will help you with all your grammar questions. Created by Mignon Fogarty, here’s what she says about her site:
Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Whether English is your first language or second language, Grammar Girl’s punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer.
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl
5. scribens.com
Scribens allows users to copy and paste their writing to check for grammar, spelling, and more. They claim to correct 10X more mistakes than Microsoft Word with security and confidentiality. They state:
- Data transfer is secured with SSL encryption (https protocol).
- The powerful web application firewall Incapsula protects our servers against attacks.
- No text being transferred is stored on our servers.
Here is more from their website:
Scribens corrects over 250 types of common grammar and spelling mistakes, including verbs, nouns, pronouns, prepositions, homonyms, punctuation, typography, and more. Online corrections are included with explanations in order to help the user progress his or her English writing skills…Scribens employs a sophisticated syntactical recognition algorithm that detects even the most subtle errors in a text. In offering you an advanced correction software, Scribens allows you to significantly improve the quality of your writing… Scribens detects stylistic elements such as repetitions, run-on sentences, redundancies, and more. It even suggests synonyms for every word... It also provides highly detailed statistics on your texts, such as word, sentence, and paragraph count as well as a readability indicator and more…Scribens provides definitions, conjugations, and synonyms with an accompanying dictionary and thesaurus.
6. studystack.com
If you enjoy studying with flashcards, you can create your own or search through preexisting flashcards on this site. They do have a Pro membership version if you prefer. Here ‘s what they say about their service:
Since 2002 millions of students have used StudyStack to memorize information. StudyStack's community of students and teachers have shared millions of flashcards. For each set of flashcards entered, the StudyStack website generates over a dozen ways for users to study the information they need to learn. The variety of study activities enables users to memorize data quickly without getting bored from using a single method of study. Studystack enables teachers to quickly enter data once and have a dozen different activities created for their students to memorize facts.
StudyStack's founder, John Weidner, started the site as a hobby out of his desire to contribute to the educational community. StudyStack has operated as a free advertiser supported business - which is the price preferred by most students and teachers.
7. tomato-timer.com
Tomato Timer is an easy to use online timer based on the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is a work management tool that students can use to pace their studies. The technique is described in an article by mindtools.com:
The Pomodoro Technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. His best-selling book of the same name was updated and revised in 2013. "Pomodoro" is Italian for tomato. The technique works by getting you to structure your work in 25-minute sessions, each separated by a short break. Cirillo took the name from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that he used to manage his time as a university student.
The method is remarkably simple. Each 25-minute session is one "pomodoro." When you complete one, take a five-minute break before embarking on the next. When you have completed four "pomodori," take a longer break to rest and recharge. At first, it might seem counter-intuitive to take so many breaks throughout the day. But research shows that this can actually enhance your focus when you return to the task you're working on.
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/pomodoro-technique.htm
8. Evernote Basic
Evernote is an app that allows users to research, collect, and organize notes from a variety of sources and organize those notes in one place. Evernote Basic is a free version of the app, but if you want to upgrade to more features, you’ll need to check out their other plans. Evernote describes itself this way:
From inspiration to achievement, Evernote is where your work takes shape. Write, collect, discuss, and present, all from one workspace.
Hannah Williams, writing for tutsplus.com describes Evernote this way:
Evernote’s perhaps the most well-known digital notebook app ever made. It’s nearly synonymous with digital notes. And yet, being a notebook app doesn’t even begin to explain its popularity.
If it was only an app where you could type in notes, the most organized among us would be using it to write the details of their lives and works, but that’d be it. The rest of us unorganized people would still be unorganized, and still wouldn’t be taking notes. The magic of Evernote is that it’s an app where you can add everything—from typed-in notes to scanned documents to photos of a restaurant menu—in one unorganized mess, and it can still make sense of the madness and let you find anything you’ve ever added in seconds. And it does all that from any of your devices, for free, so you’ll truly never forget anything.
What do you think?
- Have you already tried some of these study resources?
- Do you have a favorite website for study resources?
- What type of study resource would be of most use to you?
Do you have a question, comment or an idea for an article? Email: [email protected]
