Best Reference Apps in Education
scite is an award-winning platform for discovering and evaluating scientific articles via Smart Citations.
Devices: Web
Q-files is a web-based collection of 2000+ articles written for kids between 7 and 13. The articles cover many subjects, including math, history, science, and general interest. It forms an engaging, accurate, and good-value web-based encyclopaedia with all of its content verified by experts in the field. The web app works on any device. Unusually, it looks at its best when viewed on a portrait-oriented screen but is usable on any. You can use Q-files for free for thirty days just by visiting the site—no login or account creation.
Devices: Web
RevisePal is an app to help motivate students to revise and study more thoroughly through games, rewards, and competition. The app specifically supports students studying Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, English, and Religion for GCSE exams. You can download RevisePal for free on Android and iOS devices. The app has an ad-free seven-day trial for new users, after which a subscription will maintain the service. Some features remain usable alongside ads even if you do not subscribe.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Dictionary.com is a comprehensive dictionary app without the major name attached. Their collection of more than 2 million words includes additional learning features like quizzes, puzzles, and word of the day. This is a great option for advanced academic use as well as everyday language. Dictionary.com is available online and also available for free to download on iOS and Android.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
uTalk is a language-learning app for beginners and intermediates. It covers over a hundred different languages and topics relevant to most people. These languages even include Swahili, Amharic, Shona, etc. Each language has lots of learning and practice material, including recordings of native speakers. The app's user interface supports many languages to ensure everyone can access the learning content. uTalk has downloadable iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac apps, or you can use the uTalk web app in any modern browser. The app is free to download or access and includes a reasonable amount of free content. Score 100% on this to get some more! Once you've learned from this starter pack, you can subscribe or purchase for further learning.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Gauthmath is a math solver app that helps students and teachers check the answers to math problems from any source. Take a photograph of a problem; the app's AI will solve it and present a step-by-step guide. Should the AI be unable to help, you can pass the problem on to a live tutor for a solution and guidance. Gauthmath is available for iOS and Android devices, as well as having a comprehensive desktop version. A feature-limited advertisement-supported version is available with subscription options for removing the ads, adding features, and improving the responsiveness of the service. There is a free three-day trial of Gauthmath Premium, which is the version we used in this app review.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Advanced Dictionary & Thesaurus is an app that shows you the definition of a word and its synonyms. It has definitions of over 140,000 with more than 250,000 links and 1.4 million words.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Merriam-Webster Dictionary is a well-known English dictionary app for tourists, language learners, and teachers. The popular app includes vocabulary-building quizzes, an integrated thesaurus, search history, example sentences, voice search, audio pronunciations, and more. Merriam-Webster dictionary is available for free to download on iOS and Android devices.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Dolphin EasyReader gives its users easy access to printed content, including newspapers, magazines and books. It is designed to make reading accessible to anybody who might find it challenging to access the printed word. The features support those who find reading difficult due to dyslexia, visual impairment, neurodivergence, etc. Dolphin EasyReader is compatible with many commonly used text formats. It can also link with many popular libraries and newspaper services worldwide. There is a Dolphin EasyReader app for PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and Kindle. Dolphin EasyReader is a free app with premium personal or education versions that offer extra features such as device synchronisation and extra features. The library services you use may also require a separate subscription.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad , Windows
EasyBib is an information literacy platform that provides citation, note taking, and research tools for students. Using EasyBib's tools, students can input reference information and have it instantly transformed into any one of the current citation styles (MLA, CMS, etc.).
Devices:
ResearchGate is a social networking platform for scientists and researchers to share their work, collaborate with others, and find research materials. The platform is designed to provide researchers with a space to connect with their peers, expand their networks, and keep up with the latest developments in their fields.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
The Nursing Central is an app meant to be a helpful tool for those in the medical field. By offering thorough information about illnesses, exams, medications, and procedures whenever and wherever it is required, Nursing Central makes nurses and students more effective.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Picmonic is a popular nursing app designed to help nursing students and professionals learn and retain difficult nursing concepts through visual and auditory learning aids.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Voice Reader Speech Central is a text-to-speech app that can read out loud any text that you copy or paste into the app. Voice Reader Speech Central has the best PDF support in the text to speech apps. Your reading flow will not be interrupted by footers, headers, footnotes, in-text citations and long web links as they are detected by advanced artificial intelligence in most cases. Speech Central is an app that can be used as assistive technology and helper for people with visual impairments or eyesight problems and disabilities like dyslexia.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Dictionary(dot)com app has two easily interchangeable modes: dictionary and thesaurus. The search box with voice recognition button (microphone) is present at the top of all pages. The main page lets users choose and read daily (and previous) updates, view recent searches, and access saved words. Dictionary.com is a pretty darn convenient way to improve spelling, vocabulary, and knowledge with modern bells and whistles not possible in a traditional book format -- voice recognition, daily updates, favorites, and search history.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
Walking With Dinosaurs is a great choice as a reference app for dinosaur enthusiasts of any age, and wins our Editors' Choice as an educational iPad app. BBC Worldwide and its BBC Earth team have collaborated with the original developer to bring this comprehensive interactive dinosaur encyclopedia to the iPad.
Devices: iPhone, iPad
Oxford Thesaurus of English app is an application that helps users to improve their vocabulary and writing skills.
Devices: iPhone, iPad
Tapestry is a secure online Learning Journal to record photos, observations and comments, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, to build up a record of your child’s experiences during their time with us. This system allows us to work with parents and carers to share information and record the children’s play and learning in and outside of the classroom.
Devices: iPhone, iPad
The Urban Dictionary app is a crowdsourced slang dictionary that records new words and their meanings. Part of Urban Dictionary’s app is its informal approach, which allows both definitions and descriptions of slang and non slang words. The urban dictionary app is completely free to download.
Devices: iPhone, iPad
iTranslate Voice is an app that translates audio into more than 40 languages, allowing you to ask a local for directions, tell a taxi driver an address or say almost anything you’d like in another language. You record yourself and then your voice is immediately translated into your chosen language. You can record someone’s response in their language, and the app will then translate it into your language. You can also connect two devices and have easy back-and-forth conversations with someone who doesn’t speak your language. The pro version comes with a custom phrasebook, unlimited translations and transcripts and no ads for $39.99 per year. Or, download the basic version (with limited translations) for free on iTunes. iTranslate Voice currently supports 42 languages for both translation and dictionary services. Just speak the phrase or word you want to translate and iTranslate Voice speaks the target language. If you are misunderstood, you can tap the pencil to correct iTranslate Voice. AirTranslate lets you pair with someone else wirelessly who also has iTranslate Voice installed. You can both speak your native languages and let iTranslate Voice take care of the rest.
Devices: iPhone, iPad
Driving Theory Test 4 in 1 Kit is a driving test app that contains all Theory Test questions, has won multiple awards, and is licensed by the DVSA. You can sit unlimited mock tests and review where you went wrong, and test yourself with the braking distance simulator. With the claim that they’ll give you back your test fee if you fail your theory test after using the app, the Driving Theory Test 4 in 1 Kit is cheaper than taking your test again. Updated with more theory questions from 2022 than any other app, and including unlimited mock tests, you’ll easily feel confident by the time you take our theory test with this driving test app. Driving Theory Test 4 in 1 Kit is available to download on iOS and Android devices.
Devices: Android, iPhone, iPad
English Dictionary - Offline is exactly what its name suggests: a dictionary that you don't need an Internet connection to use. With it, you can look up any word without Wi-Fi or 3G.
Devices: Android
Citation Machine is a citation generator that allows users to create citations by filling in information about the source. It supports MLA, APA, Turabian, and Chicago style formatting.
Devices: Web
English to Albanian Translator is the most powerful translation app to equip the knowledge in the respective language. The app offers lessons in the language with various themes and in various categories. It is available free of cost and offers a one-month premium version at the cost of $1.99. English to Albanian translator is free to download on Android and iOS devices. Enjoy a range of essential add-on capabilities like text-to-speech and history tracking when translating any sentence or phrase into any target language.
Devices: iPhone, iPad