New: 10 of the best Apple and Android apps for higher education in 2013


Two years ago we presented “10 of the best apps for higher education” which highlighted some of the best apps for iPhones and iPods. However, with new upgrades in touch technology, and the emergence of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and education reform in general, we’ve come up with a new list of the best Apple- and Android-based education apps for 2013.

This year’s list includes some of the most highly rated apps, both by educators and by students, and features a range that spans from free language learning software to MOOC libraries, and from free social media management to award-winning study guides.

For every app we’ve listed, we’ve included a brief description, device compatibility, suggested use, features, price, and a link to a more in-depth summary with an option to purchase on iTunes or Google Play.

Don’t see an app you love on this list? Be sure to let us know—or leave a suggestion in the comment section.

(Apps are listed in alphabetical order.)

Name: Appointment Plus

What is it? Appointment-Plus lets users take their scheduling wherever they work–across the hall, across town, or around the world. Manage appointments for yourself or your entire staff, create, update and cancel appointments on the fly.

Best for: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5; Requires Android 2.2 and up.

Price: FREE

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Create, view, update and cancel appointments
  • If you’re an admin, manage appointments and customers for any of your locations, staff or rooms

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/appointment-plus/id538020258?mt=8

[Android] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appointmentplus.appointmentplus&hl=en

 

Name: Bonfyre

What is it? A private networking app that creates clubs, sports, and study groups, and improves student-to-teacher communication. Bonfyre helps provide an intimate, private level of connection between a student’s daily classroom activity and others.

Best for: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5; Requires Android 2.2 and up.

Price: FREE

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Private Group Text Messaging
  • Private Photo Sharing App
  • Free Picture Messaging App
  • Private Photo Gallery & Albums

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bonfyre/id463042005?ls=1&mt=8

[Android] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobileapp.bonfyre&hl=en

Name: Duolingo

What is it? Learn a language completely free, without ads or hidden charges. Have fun while learning, leveling up and competing with friends. Provides the opportunity to translate real-world texts in the language you are learning, and in doing so, help Duolingo translate the web into other languages. PC Magazine Editors’ Choice for Language Learning.

Best for: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Price: FREE

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • ‘I’ before ‘e,’ except… Now when you come to a tricky language concept, there will be short explanations to help you understand what’s going on.
  • New exercise type! Duolingo gives you a word, and you tap on the photo that matches it. Strengthen your visual connection with the language.
  • How do you pronounce “heureux” again? You can now tap on a word to hear its pronunciation.
  • A secret award for finishing the whole skill tree…

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/duolingo-learn-spanish-french/id570060128?mt=8

[Android] Coming in May

Name: Flipboard

What is it? Flipboard is your personal magazine. When you first launch Flipboard, simply pick a few topics to start reading-everything from world news to sports, travel and more. You can also add popular publications, such as The New York Times or Vanity Fair. You can find thousands of websites, RSS feeds and interesting sources like Politico and Brain Pickings, or explore magazines being created on Flipboard in “By Our Readers.”

Best for: Requires Android 2.2 and up.

Price: FREE

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Add Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and more to see updates from your social world, all in a beautiful magazine style experience.
  • Just tap any of your tiles to start flipping through the pages of your Flipboard. And use the + button on any item to start saving things into your own magazines.

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flipboard-your-social-news/id358801284?mt=8

[Android] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=flipboard.app&hl=en

Name: Google Drive

What is it? Get started with 5GB for free to safely keep all of your files, photos, and more in one place and then access it from any device, anywhere. Store documents, pictures, or other files-even the big ones-using Google Drive and easily share them with anyone

Best for: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5; Requires Android 2.1 and up.

Price: FREE

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Edit and create Google documents and spreadsheets
  • Share photos with friends and family – to anywhere, from anywhere..
  • Always have the latest version of your documents at home or office.
  • Offline viewing
  • Access your documents on the plane, train, or bus.
  • New device? Your files are there.
  • Broken or lost device? Your files are safe.

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-drive/id507874739?mt=8

[Android] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs

Name: iTeacherBook

What is it? This app lets professors and teachers plan and track their schedules as well as student courses and attendance. It can also create and send assignments for your students, grade student progress, create reports, and export and schedule events.

Best for: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Price: $4.99

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Interface will let you enter your courses and lectures. Additional feature allows adding notes to your classes.
  • You can attach students to every course, and track their attendance in real-time as well as for past events.
  • iTeacherBook will always show you how many students are enrolled to the course and how many attended each class.
  • Notifications option integrated into iTeacherBook.
  • When creating assignments for your students, you can mark them depending on their status and then send the assignment to the students enrolled to your course.
  • You can grade every student based on letter, points and percent grading scales that you can customize for each and every course you teach.
  • All of the information of the progress that students made during the semester is accumulated in the summary of attendance, assignments completed, and grades received for each student.
  • iTeacherBook grants you the option of creating various types of reports and exporting them as .csv files to iTunes or Mail. You can create attendance report, grades report and general students information report.

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iteacherbook/id459153342?mt=8

Name: Khan Academy

What is it? The Khan Academy app is the best way to view Khan Academy’s complete library of over 3,500 videos. Khan Academy covers a massive number of topics, including K-12 math, science topics such as biology, chemistry, and physics, and even the humanities with playlists on finance and history. Spend an afternoon brushing up on statistics. Discover how the Krebs cycle works. Learn about the fundamentals of computer science.

Best for: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.1 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5; Requires Android 2.2 and up.

Price: FREE

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Downloadable videos: take individual videos or entire playlists to watch offline at your own pace.
  • Subtitles: follow along, skip ahead, or go back by navigating through subtitles.
  • Track your progress: Log in with your Khan Academy user account to get credit for watching videos, and see your achievements

Links: [Apple]

[Android] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.khanacademy.videos&hl=en

Name: Popplet Lite

What is it? Popplet Lite is a platform for your ideas. Popplet’s super simple interface allows you to move at the speed of your thoughts. With Popplet you can capture your ideas and sort them visually in real time.

Best for: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

Price: FREE for Lite version that includes 1 Popplet. The full version of Popplet at $4.99 lets you create an unlimited number of local Popplets.

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Explore Ideas: Brainstorming, Mindmapping.
  • Plan Projects: Diagrams, Process Charts.
  • Record Thoughts: Journals, Notes, Lists.
  • Collect Inspiration: Mood Boards, Scrapbook, Travel Plans.
  • Create Galleries: Photo albums, Portfolios, Presentations.
  • Study: School Projects, Class Notes.
  • Boundless Boards.
  • Pan and Zoom.
  • External VGA Display Support.
  • Multi Language Support.
  • PDF and JPEG Export.

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/popplet-lite/id364738549?mt=8

Name: STUDYBLUE

What is it? Flip online flashcards for fast feedback on what you know, then re-study concepts you’ve not yet mastered using Study Filters.

Best for: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5; Requires Android 1.6 and up.

Price: FREE; A free StudyBlue.com account is required to use this app; user can create one after installation.

Rated: 4+

Features:

  • Make flashcards: Use text, pictures, and audio to create flashcards right on your device.
  • Study stats: Focus on toughest materials, go hard on “the wrongs”, and take pride in your progress.
  • Search: Find online flashcards and notes from millions of classmate-created materials.
    Reminders. Alerts put an end to forgetting about those 67 biology terms you have to study.
  • Study saver: Had to bail on a study session? Pick it back up where you left off.
  • Messages: Contact classmates to ask questions or collaborate.

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/studyblue/id323887414?mt=8

[Android] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.studyblue&hl=en

Name: TED

What is it? The official TED app presents talks from some of the world’s most fascinating people: education radicals, tech geniuses, medical mavericks, business gurus, and music legends. Find more than 1,400 TEDTalk videos (with more added each week).

Best for: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 6.0 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5; Requires Android 2.1 and up.

Price: FREE

Rated: 9+

Features:

  • The entire library is at your fingertips to browse at any time, even when you’re not online.
  • Watch TEDTalks with subtitles in over 90 languages directly on your device through our new video player, or use AirPlay to watch them on your home entertainment system.
  • Curate your own playlist.
  • Download full videos to your device and watch them when you’re offline. Listen to an on-demand playlist of TEDTalks audio at any time.
  • The TED app updates almost every day with new talks from TED events around the world.
  • Sort the featured library by recency or popularity.
  • Browse talks by tags, themes, or language.
  • Share your favorite talks with your friends.

Links: [Apple] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ted/id376183339?mt=8

[Android] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ted.android&hl=en

Sign up for our newsletter

Newsletter: Innovations in K12 Education
By submitting your information, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

eCampus News Staff

Oops! We could not locate your form.

Sign up for our newsletter

Newsletter: Innovations in K12 Education
By submitting your information, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.