Want to know how to use flashcards effectively? Continue reading!
Your teachers and other learning experts have recommended that you use flashcards to help with your learning. You’ve seen other successful students use them. You’d like to start using them as well but don’t really know how? So, you’ve purchased a set of flashcards and left them on your desk.
In this post, you’ll learn why flashcards are an effective revision tool; how not to use them for revision and the top 3 ways to use flashcards effectively.
Let’s dive in!
Why flashcards are an effective revision tool?
Flashcards work for one main reason – they encourage the thinking process. When used correctly, you’ll spend a few seconds thinking about the answers to questions, diagrams, processes and so on. This act of thinking forces your brain to come up with a plausible answer. The process is known as active recall and is a top learning method according to science-based research.
Flashcards are also effective as they promote drilling. This is where you repeat information over and over again so that it becomes embedded in your long-term memory. For example, can you think of a nursery rhyme you still remember word for word? That’s because at nursery, you sang that rhyme so frequently that it’s now drilled into your long-term memory.
How not to use flashcards?
Flashcards are not to be used for notetaking. That’s what notebooks are for! You need to first study and understand the concept and then transfer it, in a summarised form onto your flashcards. You can then go over your flashcards at frequent intervals so that the knowledge gets imprinted into your long-term memory.
So, use flashcards as a means of recalling information that you have already learnt, instead of to passively make notes.
How to use flashcards effectively?
(1) Use both sides
To make sure you’re using flashcards effectively, you need to use both sides of the card. As an example, if you want to learn a biology key term, write the key term on the front of the flashcard and the answer at the back. Doing it this way mean that you can give yourself a few seconds to think about the definition of the key term before turning the card around to check the answer. See the example below.
(2) Use the 3-pile method
Create a ‘YES’ ‘NO’ and ‘MAYBE’ pile. You can do this by writing ‘YES’ ‘NO’ and ‘MAYBE’ on small coloured sticky notes and stick them to your desk. As you go over your flashcards, put the cards:
- you answered 100% correctly – in the ‘YES’ pile
- you missed out some information – in the ‘MAYBE’ pile
- you could hardly remember the answer to – in the ‘NO’ pile
Then go through the NO’ pile and repeat steps a to c until you’re able to move everything into the ‘YES’ pile.
Note that this method will likely be completed over several revision sessions, and not in one go. The idea is to get you to focus on your weaker areas first, then brush up on areas that you kind of know – the ‘maybe’ pile. Finally, you can go back to the yes pile and check that you still remember everything.
(3) Space it out
A common mistake students make is they wait until nearer the exams before creating a pile of flashcards. They then frantically try to consume all the information in that short space of time. This is cramming and it is not an effective revision method.
In the same way you have your pens, pencils and books as daily tools to help you succeed at school, your flashcards should be used in a similar way. You need to consult them regularly. Once you have created your pile of flashcards, – see number 2 above, consider going over your ‘YES’ pile monthly, your ‘NO’ pile weekly and your ‘MAYBE’ pile every fortnight. By repeatedly using your flashcards, over a space of time, you will drive the information into your long-term memory.
How to use flashcards effectively – more tips!
(1) Use images
Whenever possible add a diagram to your flashcard. You can draw a simple sketch next to the question to help jog your memory. You can also draw a diagram as the answer – for example, you’re more likely to remember the parts of a plant cell in a diagram than word format.
When asked to draw, some students are hesitant due to the belief that they are not good at drawing. Thankfully, Graham Shaw, who teaches drawing and study techniques show in this video, that the quality of your drawings does not play a role in whether you remember something or not. What matters is the process of drawing and what that drawing means to you.
In the video, Graham Shaw mentioned a study where participants were asked to remember 30 simple words either by writing them down or drawing images of them. Those who drew diagrams representing the words remembered twice as many words as those who wrote down the words. They also did separate studies where participants were asked to visualise words or write descriptions of words to remember them. Again, those who drew diagrams of the words performed much better.
So drawing is great for learning and memorisation. I highly recommend you check out the video. Especially the part where he sketches a diagram showing how white blood cells defend us from infection. It’s around 11.30 min.
(2) Make them as you go along.
To make your flashcards, you need to first spend time learning and understanding the content before transferring it onto the card in a summarised format. This can be a time-consuming process. So, you should get into the habit of creating flashcards as you go along. A good thing to do is as soon as you’ve covered a large topic or unit, spend some time to make a few revision cards around that topic. This way, you won’t have to spend time making flashcards nearer the exams when you are already limited for time – which will cause added stress.
(3) Interleave Topics
When revising with flashcards, don’t only focus on one topic. You should intermittently test yourself across other topics. For example, if you’ve been revising cells and body systems, you can also test yourself on say, DNA and genetics as well. This way you’ll be able to link knowledge between different topics; which will help you gain more marks in exams.
Conclusion: How to use flashcards effectively
As you can see, flashcards are a great tool for learning and memory retention. But they need to be used properly to get the maximum benefit. In this post, you have learnt some great tips on how to use flashcards effectively. Use them to help improve your learning.
