Conceptual understanding and student attitudes towards the use of digital flashcards

Abstract

This study aims to determine how the use of flashcards in an online environment can influence motivation for revising and the achievement of conceptual understanding of biological content. The sample consisted of fifth-grade students (N=112), of whom 59 used online interactive flashcards created with the CRAM system. A control group of 53 students revised the same educational topics using traditional methods through discussion. After the revision, students took a final assessment. A survey questionnaire was used to gather information on the learning experience with flashcards, in which students evaluated their experiences and shared their impressions. A comparison of the final assessment results reveals that students who revised using flashcards performed better on tasks assessing knowledge reproduction and higher-order cognitive tasks than students who revised through discussion. Most students assessed that learning with online flashcards was more practical and easier than traditional revision through discussion, and those who used hint cards found them helpful for a better understanding of biological content. Flashcards have proven to be an effective method for revising biology content. In addition to memorizing, flashcards also enable better understanding with good visual support for conceptual understanding, whereby students show positive attitudes towards this learning approach.