Flashcards, Learning and Spaced Repetition

Your task is to create one good flashcard on ediscio.com in our neuroscience cardbox.  You should create a card based on the things you have learned thus far in the case study.  You may not repeat a card or create a new card for the same information so read through any cards that have already been created first.  Basically, this means first-come, first-served in terms of choosing your card topic.  Before you create the card you should read the websites listed below.  They give a background on how to study, what spaced repetition is, and how to create good flashcards that enhance learning rather than hinder it.  Use this information to make your flashcards educationally sound!

This first link is a single link that can be used to read all the websites.  Once you load the page you will see right and left arrows to cycle through the other pages.  Even if you use this link you should read the brief description of each web page below so you know why you are reading it.

http://fur.ly/f10/

Alternatively, you can load each page separately by clicking the links below.

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070829122934.htm – This site discusses why ‘cramming’ doesn’t work.
• http://www.mnemosyne-proj.org/principles.php – This site sums up ‘spaced-repetition’ and provides a free computer program if you want to use this technique on your own computer rather than the web.  It probably uses a better algorithm than the ediscio website too, but I am not positive of that yet.
• http://www.supermemo.com/articles/power.htm – This is the first of 3 ‘Supermemo’ links.  Supermemo is another computer program to create flashcards using spaced-repetition, but their full version is not free (like mnemosyne above).  I believe this was the first computer program to do this sort of thing.  I do not agree with everything this site says but this particular page sums up some steps you can take to be more successful in learning.
• http://www.supermemo.com/articles/20rules.htm – The second Supermemo link.  I am not peddling their program (in fact, I prefer other software) but their site does have some good information on how to effectively use this technology to learn.  This page explains how you should format your flashcards to be most effective.  It is a long page but doesn’t take too long to read and has quite worthwhile information.
• http://www.supermemo.com/help/faq/ks.htm – And finally, the third Supermemo link.  This page is a question/answer page that may help you make better flashcards and understand how to apply the technique to specific subject matter.  For example, two of the top three questions deal with how to learn anatomy and diseases.