Apps and Widgets - OU Anywhere

Following my last post, it came to light that the StudentHome app is only available on Android (sorry for that, not my fault!) and although I'd heartily advocate getting an Android phone (it's just how I roll) never fear!

For those of you with an iPhone (and I'll research the availability on the Windows phones, too) there is the Open University app,"OU Anywhere", which provides another great support tool for your studies.

I have to admit, it's a little clunkier than StudentHome, but is fairly straightforward to use.  On opening the app, you will see a list of all the modules that you're currently studying, or have studied in the past; clicking on these can either take you to study materials such as Assignment pdfs, or the textbooks themselves to download.

From the first page of the app you can also access the mobile version of the "Study Planner" page of the Open University - this is exactly the same as that on StudentHome, so you're not missing out on being able to access and join in with your online Forum work.

This app is another great piece of kit for online studies and makes any online collaborative work a lot easier to manage.

There are so many things out there to help navigate distance learning with the use of modern technology - let me know if there are any useful gadgets/apps/widgets that you've found!

Fay.

Apps and Widgets - StudentHome

Evening all!

Firstly I have to apologise.  No, not because I haven't posted in a (long) while, but because I have been sitting on what appears to be a rather big secret for the last few years:

StudentHome - the app

Recently on the Facebook A105 support group, I’ve noticed a lot of comments from people concerning free time and the inconvenience of doing on-line work like forums, especially since APT02!

If only joining in forum discussions on your mobile was as easy as opening up the Facebook app and posting a message in the A105 support group…

Well, I tell you now, that it 100% is!  If you’re not already aware, some lovely ex-student (MBarr, I think) of the Open University helpfully created the “Student Home” app (available on Android/Google Play Store), which allows you access to all the things that you’d find on your student homepage when you log into the OU website from a PC (see pic below left!)

The beauty of this app is that you can access your forums, read the threads, reply to the threads, and create new discussions without having to sit down at your desk and wait eight years for your PC to boot up, log in to the OU website etc… etc… 

I found Student Home really useful during the Assignment Preparation Task we did recently – I was able to keep up to date with the discussions and replies going on in the forum anytime I had a free moment or two, I could also pick and choose when I wanted, or was able to, reply myself; I could post an idea as soon as I thought of it so I didn’t have to worry about forgetting it before getting to my computer, and didn’t have to set out many specific slots of time in order to contribute to the task.

If you have a Smart Phone, I cannot recommend this app enough, and I believe it is free though they do request a small contribution – a small price to pay for something that makes life so much easier!

Another post will follow shortly on other aspects of this app, and how it can help manage your studies!

Let me know what apps help you study!!!

Fay!

I have contacted the creator to ask about other formats (iPhone, Windows) to see if availability is in the pipeline for these - but, for now, it appears it's only available on Android (and for once, I'm genuinely sorry to hear this!)