Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative managed by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. Find out more
Key apps and websites for new learners
In the delivery phases of our Covid-19 response to reach people who were digitally excluded, Mhor Collective worked with partners to pre-install apps on new devices to help learners get off to a flying start. It was amazing to hear directly from even those learners who had never used a device before, how they’d had a go on the different apps on their new tablets and phones.
In case it’s of use to you as a digital champion, here is a wee list of apps and websites we saw people enjoying from the get-go:
Facebook: Love it or hate it, the platform is nevertheless one of the most used apps in the world. It can be helpful not only for connecting with family and friends, but also for reaching local community organisations, and for accessing support. Our friends over at Neighbourhood Networks have been using a closed Facebook page to ensure their amazing community work continued even when we were in full lockdown, with live cook-alongs, bingo and exercise classes all bringing people together. We’ve seen people make the most of Facebook Messenger as a less-public way of staying in touch. It also offers video calling. We often support learners- especially younger ones- in accessing Instagram.
WhatsApp: Even before lockdown, WhatsApp was one of the most popular communication tools. During lockdown, we saw slight changes in the way the platform was being used, with increasing numbers of people using the video calling, group chat and voice elements of the app. It’s a brilliant tool and the end-to-end encryption offers greater privacy. The wonderful frontline staff from Simon Community Scotland have been using the platform in the Get Connected pilot to continue their holistic support for people with lived experience of homelessness and have had more engagement than ever before.
BBC iPlayer: As people turned to traditional sources of news, BBC iPlayer became a go-to app on our distributed devices. People used it to binge watch Normal People and Line of Duty (yes, you should!); to keep up to date with current events, and used sister app BBC Sounds for radio and podcasts. New learners feel reassured by the familiarity of the BBC and digital champions find the apps to be safe spaces for people to experiment as they get to know their device. A further advantage is that the BBC doesn't have pop up adverts which can distract and sometimes concern new learners.
YouTube: All of us turned to YouTube during lockdown to help us with various challenges – from learning to cut our own hair to fixing a broken washing machine- and our new learners were no different. Again we saw people having a go with the video streaming app, reminiscing while watching films of their local area in days gone by; learning how to fill in universal credit forms; and just watching the inevitable cat videos. There’s also a really helpful Connecting Scotland YouTube playlist to help people familiarise themselves with new devices received as part of Connecting Scotland.
Google Translate: Google Translate (the app version, rather than just in browser) is an incredible tool. Supporting dozens of languages, it offers simultaneous interpreting, so you can speak to someone in English and your phone will miraculously talk in another language. It also, excitingly, will translate full text with just a click of the camera button.
DuoLingo: On a similar vein to translate, we pre-installed DuoLingo thinking it would be helpful to speakers of other languages, but we were amazed how many learners gave it a go just for fun. We even had learners having a wee shot at Gaelic.
As a sidenote, we also used bookmarks (which then appeared as icons on learner screens) to highlight websites of importance. We went for:
Learn My Way: A must for both new learners and digital champions alike. It’s full of short courses to help people who are new to the internet, and guides and checklists for those of us who are helping others.
NHS Inform: This site is of particular importance as it directs learners to safe, reliable health information and counteracts any health-related misinformation spread online, which can be particularly difficult, although FullFact can be a helpful website to show people to check facts.
ScotGov: At a time where reliable messaging is vital, it’s important to direct people to a safe and accurate source. Using the ScotGov website ensures that we are helping people access the most up-to-date information and guidelines.