Flashcard
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A flashcard or flash card is a piece of paper that is used as a learning aid.
The purpose of using flashcards is memorization. You write a question on each card (and an answer overleaf), test yourself on them, and sort them into groups as you learn, according to your performance. Flashcards can bear vocabulary, historical dates, formulas, etc.
This strategy makes selective learning possible, that is: the more difficult the flashcards in a group, the more often you review that group. The result is, you save a lot of study time.
This method was proposed by the German psychologist Sebastian Leitner in the 1970s. Pimsleur language courses are based on a similar idea.
Since the 1980s, language-learning software has been developed to make memorization easier and more effective. Electronic flashcards can bear not only text and pictures, but also sound, which proves very useful for language learning. Moreover, computers can employ spaced repetition to improve memory retention.
External links
- Free site with over 1,000,000 free flashcards, Leitner system available (http://www.flashcardexchange.com)
- 200 Memorization Software Titles, Reviewed (http://learn.how.to)
- Memorize-It Flashcard Software - Create your own (http://www.memorize-it.com)
- Flashcard website. View flashcards online or on your cellphone (http://www.studystack.com)