17 tools to help you nail your own e-learning

Learning on your own at home can take an extra dose of motivation sometimes. We’ve got 17 tools and extra tips to make studying online easier and even enjoyable. Find the best ones for you so that you can study your way.

Tool 1: Post-it notes

Use it for: Set yourself some study goals and write down why you’re e-learning. What do you want to achieve short, medium and longer-term? Stick them somewhere you will see them often.

Tool 2: Google Calendar

Use it for: Time blocking and scheduling your study time for each topic or module to fit in around your other commitments.

Tool 3: Trello

Use it for: Kanban boards and list-making tools like Trello are great for creating study plans, staying organised and tracking your progress.

Tool 4: Evernote

Use it for: Capturing any websites, blogs, videos and saving them in different files to watch for later. You can also save documents and make notes.  

Tool 5: Notion

Use it for: Notion is a bit like Evernote and Trello combined and has more functionality. It has lots of different layout options and is a brilliant place to keep all your study notes, plans and links to resources because it looks great but tags and categories also make your content easy to organise and search back for.

Tool 6: Pomodor

Use it for: This is a simple web-based Pomodoro Technique timer. The Pomodoro Technique is where you work intensely for 25-minutes and then take a break for five minutes (and take a longer break after every four Pomodoros). Start by assigning small, unintimidating chunks of time to your studies (just one or two Pomodoros) and they can get longer as you go or you can work for more time if you’re in the flow. If you’re really not feeling it, don’t force yourself and take regular breaks.

Tool 7: Toggl Track 

Use it for: Tracking the time you spend e-learning. It will help give you the confidence to see how much you’ve dedicated to it, you can balance your time between modules and you can use it to give yourself rewards after set periods.  

Tool 8: Noise-cancelling headphones

Use them for: Leaving the house and learning from a cafe or coworking space to give yourself a different working environment (plus great coffee and cake.)

Tool 9: Miro

Use it for: Make online mind maps to help with your learning.

Tool 10: Zoom

Use it for: Buddying up with someone else who is doing the same course as you so you can test each other, have an accountability partner and arrange times where you study at the same time via Zoom.

Tool 11: AAT Comment and AAT Weekly student newsletter

Use them for: Reading and keeping up to date with expert articles, industry news, study tips, career advice and finance updates. Find out more here.

Tool 12: AAT Discussion Forums

Use it for: Ask for help, talk about a topic and find a study buddy. You can also chat to other students and members on our Facebook groups – YourAAT and AATPros.

Tool 13: Kahoot 

Use it for: You and your study buddy can make awesome interactive online quizzes for each other to test your knowledge with game based-learning.

Tool 14: Canva

Use it for: Create nice-looking revision cards or make notes in a fun, visual way.

Tool 15: Pitch

Use it for: Create a fancy looking deck of slides so you can teach someone else what you’ve learnt. Teaching is a great way to learn.

Tool 16: MyAAT

Use it for: Webinars, bespoke resources, practice assessments, Green Light tests, skills checklists. Find out more here (login required).

Tool 17: Netflix

Use it for: For treating yourself when you complete a chunk of revision.

Before you start, create a nice space to do your e-learning in and work out when would be the best times to do your e-learning and how you learn best. This will dictate the type of tools you’ll need. Make a list of all the tools that you’re going to use and also all the key people and resources who are going to support your learning in any way and how they will. You’ll always have this to turn to if you feel stuck.

Further reading

• Coping with stress when studying for your AAT qualifications
• Study in chunks with AAT’s study timetable
• Revise smarter not harder with AAT’s revision plans

Sophie Cross is the Editor of Freelancer Magazine and a freelance writer and marketer at Thoughtfully.