Flashcard Learning - why does it work so well?

It seems that one of the easiest ways to learn some very complicated things, such as chemistry, vocabulary, and such, is through flashcards. Isn't it great when a low cost, low tech solution is so effective? Why do flashcards work so well?

First, flashcards are super-chunky. You learn only one chunk of knowledge at a time. That might be one word of vocabulary, one acronym, one element on the periodic table.

Second, flashcards are repetition repetition repetition. And we all know that repetition is a great way to learn. Only surpassed by learning through songs, which is just another way of repetition.

Third, flashcards are totally customizable. For example, if you go through a stack of cards with Spanish vocabulary, and discard those that you already know, you have created your own deck of cards with only those ones you need to focus on. Totally customized for you, by you.

Four, you own the learning. You are your own teacher, set your own pace. And if you get it wrong, you make a decision what to do next.

Five, it is challenging. If you challenge yourself to learn everything on 50 flashcards, approach it as a game or as a test of your mental capabilities.

Six, it is portable. You can take it with you, learn whereever you are.


So how can flashcard learning be optimized?

1. Create a set of flashcards with the the chunk to be learned on one side, and the answer on the other. Variations include a picture on one side, a mathmatical formula on one side, a sentence with a blank on one side, etc. On the reverse side put the desired response.
2. Go through the cards and sort out those that you know off the top of your head. Create two stacks of cards: "What I Got Right" and "What I Got Wrong"
3. From the "What I Got Wrong" stack, go through it as many times as needed to learn them. Some of this will be "today memory" (you will forget it by tomorrow) and some of it will be "flash memory" (you will forget it in a flash). As you memorize/learn the cards, place them in the "What I got Right" stack. Eventually your "What I Got Wrong" stack will disappear or at least get pretty small.
4. Shuffle all the cards from "What I Got Right" and "What I Got Wrong" and now sort them into three stacks: "What I am 100% SURE is right", and "What I guessed Right", and "What I Got Wrong". Get the idea? Now start going through the stacks, shuffling often.


FLASHCARD SOFTWARE

Online Flashcards takes out the cool, low tech, portable aspects of regular old 5 by 7 cards, but who doesn't like elegant technology?

There are many companies that make software for flashcards, the coolest looking one (best looking interface and graphics) being FlashMyBrain www.flashmybrain.com . Very web2.0 looking with nice features. $29.95, with no free test period. There are also a lot of other options.

For learning languages, there's a new Flashcard online option called BYKI and BYKI Deluxe. I downloaded their free demo version. Very very cool way to do flashcards online with spoken phrases, pictures, vocabulary, etc. It is from Transparent Language. The deluxe version allows you to customize your own flashcards. There's a link with coupons and right here: Transparent Language.