Digital learning tool #23thingsmci

Lifelong learning has always been a hobby of mine. Next to work-based learning, I have pursued various postgraduate qualifications as well as participated in numerous MOOCs. Studying Business Administration online at the mci has so far been my best educational decision.

At the mci, I also signed up for two online badges, one of which contained this 23 things course. “Thing 17” focused on online learning apps.

Digital learning straddles my personal and professional interests. Personal because of my own as well as my daughters’ studies and learning and professionally as I am charged with introducing digital learning opportunities for staff and customers at work.

Ace your Self-Study was the first evidence-based app introduced. This is a gem, particularly for supporting my daughters in setting, sticking to and recording their study times. After trying the time management, goal setting, self-reflection tools, and learning challenges on offer, I decided that the tool is not just for the apples but also the tree.

I had tried the AnkiApp before, which provides Flash Cards on all kinds of topics. My daughters started using it to tackle those blasted German irregular verbs. Their feedback was encouraging. The App offers a plethora of different stacks of cards, it provides sufficient flexibility to adjust the number of flashcards per session, it is easy to use and tracks the learner’s progress.

I also checked out StudyStack flashcards but was less enamored with this tool. I also checked out the stacks on irregular verbs in German and did not find a set of cards that was of comparable quality to the AnkiApp versions.

Thing 17 was a small revelation and has the potential to influence my family’s learning journey for the foreseeable future!