Summary
Successive relearning combines two effective learning techniques (retrieval practice and spaced practice) and involves practicing retrieval until some level of mastery has been reached (i.e., ...at least one correct retrieval attempt) in each of multiple sessions. Several laboratory studies have demonstrated the promise of successive relearning for enhancing student learning, but attempts to evaluate its effectiveness in authentic educational contexts are limited. In the current research, we implemented successive relearning in a difficult biopsychology course to examine its effectiveness at enhancing student learning on a high‐stakes exam. Students successively relearned some course content via a virtual flashcard program, whereas other course content was learned with business‐as‐usual activities. In two experiments, successive relearning boosted students' learning of course content by at least 10% (with ds ranging from 0.54 to 1.10). These findings suggest that implementing successive relearning in courses can be an effective method of promoting student achievement.
The present Action Research report describes the vocabulary acquisition strategies of a team of English language teachers and students at an Ecuadorian university. They took part in an international ...online vocabulary learning tournament using a digital flashcard web application called WordEngine. During the four-week competition, the team employed a range of discovery and consolidation strategies for vocabulary acquisition. Quantitative data were collected by an adapted survey based on Schmitt’s (1997) taxonomy, while qualitative data were gathered from interviews conducted with the teachers. The quantitative data related to vocabulary development were supplied by the tournament organizers and are based on the Correct Responses (CRs) given by the team members while carrying out Meaning Definition Tasks (MDTs). These data suggest that, as a result of participating in the tournament, the eight contestants noticeably improved their listening and reading comprehension skills and also expanded their receptive vocabulary size under the specific conditions of the time-constrained, competitive setup. The Action Research project was accomplished under the unprecedented circumstances of the global coronavirus pandemic in 2020, which created extremely difficult conditions for students and teachers in Ecuador. The teacher-researchers conclude that in the global ‘new reality,’ computer-assisted language learning (CALL) methods, including web-based applications, have the potential of being employed as an alternative strategy in remote learning, especially in the area of vocabulary development.
The present meta‐analysis aimed to summarize the extent to which second language vocabulary is learned from the most frequently researched word‐focused activities: flashcards, word lists, writing, ...and fill‐in‐the‐blanks. One hundred effect sizes from 22 studies were included in meta‐regression analyses and administered separately for the observations measured with meaning‐recall and form‐recall tests. The results revealed that the average percentage learning gains were 60.1% and 58.5% on meaning‐recall and form‐recall immediate posttests. These gains dropped to 39.4% and 25.1% on delayed meaning‐ and form‐recall tests, respectively. These results suggest that learning through word‐focused tasks is far from guaranteed. Moreover, the percentage learning gains among the different activities ranged from 18.4% to 77.0% on immediate posttests and from 23.9% to 73.4% on delayed posttests indicating that there is much variation in efficacy among the activities. Moderator analyses revealed that learners’ place of study and direction of learning affected learning.
Pharmacology is a cornerstone of medical education as it underlies safe prescribing practices. However, medical students have reported unease regarding their perceived proficiency in medical ...pharmacology. Despite the significant impetus to improve student outcomes, there is little analysis available of the techniques used by medical students to learn, retain and apply medical pharmacology knowledge.
A mixed-methods, student-focused approach was conducted to design and evaluate specific resources developed to address gaps in pharmacology education. This methodology comprised an anonymised scoping survey, followed by semi-structured focus group interviews. We then developed a flashcard resource as an intervention to support long-term revision for academic and clinical success. This resource was released to a cohort of 100 graduate entry preclinical medical students who were invited at the end of year to evaluate the intervention via a subsequent anonymous survey.
The scoping survey received 103 complete responses. Surveys and focus group interviews revealed that only 50% of students engage in ongoing revision. Amongst our cohort, we identified that the evidence-based technique of spaced-repetition was particularly well regarded. Hence, we developed and evaluated a bespoke resource utilising Anki™, an open-source, spaced-repetition flashcard program. A total of 1208 flashcards spanning 156 distinct classes of drugs with supplementary summary tables, diagrams and explanatory video and summary guides were created. Designed as a strategic revision tool to reinforce learning, evaluation showed students greatly appreciated the "comprehensive" and "well formatted" Anki™ resource that supported existing teaching modalities, with a global rating of 3.8 out of 5.
Strategic and personalised resources for medical pharmacology education that assist with in-semester revision and long-term retention are highly valued amongst students for examination preparation and preparedness for practice. Collectively, these results reflect a novel approach to identifying and addressing weaknesses in existing learning resources in a manner that is inclusive of, and acceptable to, medical students.
This paper examined lag effects in the learning of second language (L2) grammar. Moreover, following the Desirable Difficulty Framework for L2 practice, the present study investigated whether lag ...effects could be explained by other sources of difficulty. Using digital flashcards, 117 English language learners (aged 10–18) learned two grammatical structures over two different sessions at a 1-day or 7-day intersession interval (ISI). Learners’ performance was analyzed at two retention intervals (RIs) of 7 and 28 days, respectively. Linguistic difficulty was compared by examining two different structures, while learner-related difficulty was analyzed by comparing learners who differed in terms of age, proficiency, and time required to complete the training. Results showed no main effect of ISI, a main effect of RI, and a small but significant ISI × RI interaction. Linguistic difficulty and age did not interact with ISI or RI. However, longer lags led to significantly higher scores for faster learners and learners of higher proficiency, while shorter lags promoted significantly higher scores for slower learners and learners of lower proficiency. The findings provide some support for the Desirable Difficulty Framework in its potential to explain L2 lag effects.
Little research has examined the fruitfulness of flashcards for improving learning outcomes of authentic classroom material. In Experiment 1, across different content areas flashcards did not ...significantly increase performance on a final test relative to the free-study condition. Experiment 2 investigated whether providing conceptual flashcards would aid participants’ learning relative to detailed flashcards (the kind generated most frequently by participants). Conceptual flashcards produced superior short-answer test performance than detailed flashcards for less able learners (low structure builders) but not for more able learners (high structure builders). The limited benefits of flashcards appear to reflect several factors: the current sample of students generally recruited effective study strategies (in the free-study condition) and the preponderance of detailed flashcards in both textbook provided materials and student-generated flashcards. Consistent with the material-appropriate processing framework, detailed but not conceptual flashcards would be redundant with encoding normally invited by didactic materials.
This research compares the outcomes of two computer-assisted second language (L2) idiom learning conditions: deliberate and contextual. Low-intermediate proficiency Japanese learners of English ...studied 36 idioms online by either using flashcards or reading them in sentences with contextual clues to their meanings over three learning sessions. Posttest results of these two learning conditions were compared with each other and with a baseline condition in which no learning occurred. In an idiom translation posttest, L2 participants showed superior declarative knowledge of the idioms learned in the flashcard condition. Nondeclarative knowledge gains were measured on a self-paced reading (SPR) task validated in a pilot study with 60 native (L1) readers. Although the idioms primed semantic probes during reading for the L1 participants, this was not the case for the L2 learners. Nevertheless, the two learning conditions had some positive effects on the semantic probes compared to the baseline. The finding that participants had fluent access to the idioms’ figurative meanings while reading the semantic probes is particularly important for the flashcard condition because it suggests that this learning approach results in knowledge relevant in real-time language use.
Teaching special needs students becomes more challenging and frustrating. Moreover, some SLB in Kendari nowadays have not been facilitated by suitable learning media, particularly in EFL context. ...This study describes the research that sought to understand if the teaching media electronic or not, using flashcards, foldable books, and posters, is under the necessities of deaf and hard hearing students. This question becomes the primary goal of the investigation, and its enlighten is divided into three specific goals. They are, finding out the effects of the media used in assisting special need students and EFL teacher in the class; helping them in communication and comprehending the teaching materials especially in vocabulary English class; and gaining EFL teacher’s and special need students’ motivation in teaching and learning process utilizing the media. This study used qualitative by single case study design, which was conducted about six months in 2018. Five students by deaf and hard hearing impairment of SLB-F Mandara (special private junior high school) are as the sample of this study. The observation list and depth-interview were utilized in data collection. After doing some interventions, the data analysis used data reduction, data display, and conclusion. The results showed that by intervention and utilizing diverse media by flashcards, foldable books and posters could ultimately gain teacher’s and students’ motivation in the EFL context.
Many medical students use spaced repetition as a study strategy to improve knowledge retention, and there has been growing interest from medical students in using flashcard software, such as Anki, to ...implement spaced repetition. Previous studies have provided insights into the relationship between medical students’ use of spaced repetition and exam performance, but most of these studies have relied on self-reports. Novel insights about how medical students use spaced repetition can be gleaned from research that takes advantage of the ability of digital interfaces to log detailed data about how students use software. This study is unique in its use of data extracted from students’ digital Anki data files, and those data are used to compare study patterns over the first year of medical school. Implementation of spaced repetition was compared between two groups of students who were retrospectively grouped based on average performance on three exams throughout the first year of medical school. Results indicate that students in the higher scoring group studied more total flashcards and implemented spaced repetition via Anki earlier in the year compared to the lower scoring group. These findings raise the possibility that implementing spaced repetition as a study strategy early in medical school may be related to improved knowledge retention and exam performance. Additional research should be performed at more sites to further examine the relationship between spaced repetition implementation and exam performance.
Growing research suggests that digital flashcards may facilitate students' technical vocabulary learning efforts. The primary purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the effect of ...digital flashcards (DFs) and wordlists on learning technical vocabulary as well as to explore students' perceptions regarding the use of DFs. Using convenience sampling method, the study was conducted with a total of 57 undergraduate pharmacy students. Data were collected using a pre-treatment survey, two technical vocabulary tests, and a post-treatment survey. The results indicated that (1) the students learned more technical vocabulary through DFs; (2) their perceptions about the use of DFs to study technical vocabulary were positive; (3) their perceptions of the usefulness of the Quizlet app was a predictor of their success in DF condition; and (4) practicing through digital apps positively predicted their intention to use the Quizlet application. Based on the findings, we concluded that teacher-prepared DFs result in better technical vocabulary learning.
PDF
