Flashcards are educational tools consisting of cards with information on one or both sides. Typically, one side features a question or term, while the other side provides the answer or definition. These cards are commonly used in educational environments, particularly in classrooms.
Flashcards are equally effective in online courses and offer numerous advantages for learning. They serve as an optimal resource for users to revise course material post-study. Flashcards facilitate the active retrieval of memories, engaging users' metacognitive abilities through self-reflection when accessing the answer side. Additionally, their concise format allows efficient study sessions.
Some general useful tips while creating your flashcards:
- Prompt users to say the answers out loud.
- Add pictures to your flashcards to make them more memorable. Good flashcards include images mixed with words, and our brains are very sensitive to imagery.
- Break down complex concepts into multiple simple questions.
- Create only one question for each flashcard so that users can see clearly what they don’t know.
Flashcard Examples
Let's start by looking at an ineffective flashcard example for teaching the groups of elements in the periodic table. You might create a flashcard that lists the names of the groups such as "Alkali metals," "Transition metals," etc.
Front side:
Backside:
This flashcard lacks effectiveness because users may not understand why they struggle when testing themselves, whether they know only some of the groupings or all but one. What would be a more suitable design in this scenario?
Create multiple flashcards, each focusing on a specific grouping, with the name of the grouping printed on the backside of the card.
This example indicates why it is essential to break down your concepts into multiple simple questions.
Encourage users to dedicate around 15 minutes to studying flashcards, followed by a 5-minute break, before continuing their study session. After completing their initial study session, advise them to take a day-long break before reviewing the flashcards again. This study method, known as spaced repetition, is highly effective for memorization.
For optimal results, especially with a large set of flashcards, we suggest creating a PDF version that users can print and cut out. This allows them to separate the flashcards they find challenging from those they already know well. They can then focus on practicing with the challenging set using a technique called confidence-based repetition.
In this article, we will learn how to create and embed flashcards in LearnWorlds using Quizlet.
Create and embed Flashcards using Quizlet
Quizlet is a multi-function site that creates and designs tools for studying and learning, such as flashcards and various other quiz modes.
To create flashcards in Quizlet:
1. Log in to your Quizlet account (or create one if you don't have one yet) and create your Quiz.
This video provides more information on how to create flashcards on Quizlet.
2. Once you have created your items, you can assign different study modes (learn, write, spell, test, match, gravity). To see your material converted into flashcards, click on FLASHCARDS.
3. Select the Quiz you would like to integrate into your course, and on the bottom right side of your set, click on the ... icon and select <> Embed.
4. Select the mode that feels more suitable for your course and copy (Ctrl+C) the embed code (In our example the type is Learn).
Add the flashcard embed code in LearnWorlds
In your LearnWorlds school, create an embed learning activity in your desired course and paste the relevant code from Quizlet in the respective field.
Here is how the Quizlet flashcards will appear to your users.
The Flashcards should be Public in Quizlet so that users can access the embed learning activity. Non-paying users will also have free access to the Flashcards in Quizlet.