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Effective learning strategies based on principles like personalization, retrieval practice, and spaced repetition are often challenging to implement due to practical constraints. Here we explore the integration of AI tutors to complement learning programs in accordance with learning sciences. A semester-long study was conducted at UniDistance Suisse, where an AI tutor app was provided to psychology students taking a neuroscience course (N=51). After automatically generating microlearning questions from existing course materials using GPT-3, the AI tutor developed a dynamic neural-network model of each student's grasp of key concepts. This enabled the implementation of distributed retrieval practice, personalized to each student's individual level and abilities. The results indicate that students who actively engaged with the AI tutor achieved significantly higher grades. Moreover, active engagement led to an average improvement of up to 15 percentile points compared to a parallel course without AI tutor. Additionally, the grasp strongly correlated with the exam grade, thus validating the relevance of neural-network predictions. This research demonstrates the ability of personal AI tutors to model human learning processes and effectively enhance academic performance. By integrating AI tutors into their programs, educators can offer students personalized learning experiences grounded in the principles of learning sciences, thereby addressing the challenges associated with implementing effective learning strategies. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the transformative potential of AI in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mini review provides a concise overview of recent developments in mobile-assisted vocabulary learning (MAVL) and compares its effectiveness to traditional methods in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings. The review synthesizes findings from recent empirical studies, highlighting how MAVL, particularly digital flashcards, promotes learner autonomy, engagement, and long-term vocabulary retention through features like spaced repetition and gamification. Traditional methods such as paper flashcards, while effective in structured classroom settings, lack the interactive and personalized benefits of MAVL. The review also discusses existing research gaps, including the need for further investigation into productive vocabulary use and long-term retention. Future developments in the field may include hybrid approaches that combine the strengths of both traditional and digital methods. This review aims to provide language teachers and researchers with an up-to-date understanding of MAVL and its potential to enhance EFL vocabulary acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged stress and the need for rapid uptake of information can have detrimental effects on memory and cognition, whereas meaningfulness of study material and motivation to learn can have positive effects. How do these opposing conditions impact workplace learning in essential frontline workers during a global pandemic? We analyzed learning data collected longitudinally since before the pandemic in over 85,000 essential frontline grocery workers and nonessential telecommunications workers via a learning management system that incorporates a spaced retrieval schedule, where items are retrieved following retention intervals of varying length. Findings indicate more rapid knowledge uptake in grocery workers (a) during than before the pandemic, (b) for COVID‐19‐related content than non‐COVID content, and (c) in the United States than in Canada. Longer‐term maintenance of training material was similar across groups. Evidence of enhanced workplace learning and retention supports efforts to integrate empirically based strategies from the behavioral sciences into learning‐based technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Studies using spaced repetition for teaching and learning in undergraduate clinical rotations such as paediatrics are limited, even more so in the South Asian region. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the effectiveness of utilizing spaced repetition compared to traditional learning methods among undergraduate medical students during their paediatric rotation at a medical university in Pakistan. Methods Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC) conducted quasii-experimental research in Karachi. Four topics were identified from the Year 5 Pediatrics curriculum to be used in the study, using which the study content was developed along with 50 multiple choice questions (MCQs) for assessment. All BUMDC Year 5 medical students rotating in Pediatrics were included and randomly allocated to the control or intervention group. In the control group, they provided the students with traditional study methods consisting of books and lectures to learn topics. In the intervention group, we created an Anki flashcard deck of the same topics to enable learning via spaced repetition. The researchers conducted a pretest and post test assessment of the 50 MCQs in both groups at the beginning and after the four-week study interval. The data were analysed using SPSS 19. Results A total of 115 BUMDC medical students agreed to participate in the study; 70 (59.1%) were in the intervention group, and 45 (41.7%) were in the control group. The pretest mean score of the control group was 27.96 ± 3.70, and the posttest mean score was 27.22 ± 5.02, with no statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence level. The mean score of the pretest for the intervention group was 27.93 ± 4.53, and that of the posttest was 30.8 ± 4.56, with a statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence level. The intervention showed a significant effect size of 0.8. Conclusion The use of spaced repetitions resulted in significantly greater scores for medical students studying paediatrics than for those using more traditional methods of learning, compromising medical books and lectures. Considering that medical students need to retain a vast amount of information, using spaced repetition through flashcards can be a more effective learning tool that is more cost-efficient and time-efficient than traditional learning methods.

Background: Studies using spaced repetition for teaching and learning in undergraduate clinical rotations such as paediatrics are limited, even more so in the South Asian region. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the effectiveness of utilizing spaced repetition compared to traditional learning methods among undergraduate medical students during their paediatric rotation at a medical university in Pakistan. Methods: Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC) conducted quasii-experimental research in Karachi. Four topics were identified from the Year 5 Pediatrics curriculum to be used in the study, using which the study content was developed along with 50 multiple choice questions (MCQs) for assessment. All BUMDC Year 5 medical students rotating in Pediatrics were included and randomly allocated to the control or intervention group. In the control group, they provided the students with traditional study methods consisting of books and lectures to learn topics. In the intervention group, we created an Anki flashcard deck of the same topics to enable learning via spaced repetition. The researchers conducted a pretest and post test assessment of the 50 MCQs in both groups at the beginning and after the four-week study interval. The data were analysed using SPSS 19. Results: A total of 115 BUMDC medical students agreed to participate in the study; 70 (59.1%) were in the intervention group, and 45 (41.7%) were in the control group. The pretest mean score of the control group was 27.96 ± 3.70, and the posttest mean score was 27.22 ± 5.02, with no statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence level. The mean score of the pretest for the intervention group was 27.93 ± 4.53, and that of the posttest was 30.8 ± 4.56, with a statistically significant difference at the 95% confidence level. The intervention showed a significant effect size of 0.8. Conclusion: The use of spaced repetitions resulted in significantly greater scores for medical students studying paediatrics than for those using more traditional methods of learning, compromising medical books and lectures. Considering that medical students need to retain a vast amount of information, using spaced repetition through flashcards can be a more effective learning tool that is more cost-efficient and time-efficient than traditional learning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mini review provides a concise overview of recent developments in mobile-assisted vocabulary learning (MAVL) and compares its effectiveness to traditional methods in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings. The review synthesizes findings from recent empirical studies, highlighting how MAVL, particularly digital flashcards, promotes learner autonomy, engagement, and long-term vocabulary retention through features like spaced repetition and gamification. Traditional methods such as paper flashcards, while effective in structured classroom settings, lack the interactive and personalized benefits of MAVL. The review also discusses existing research gaps, including the need for further investigation into productive vocabulary use and long-term retention. Future developments in the field may include hybrid approaches that combine the strengths of both traditional and digital methods. This review aims to provide language teachers and researchers with an up-to-date understanding of MAVL and its potential to enhance EFL vocabulary acquisition.

I was really intrigued to read an article by Cooper et al. that described how using spaced repetition study techniques raised GPA, USMLE Step 1, and COMLEX Level 1 results. In addition, I appreciate the writers' efforts in spreading the word about this special study technique that has been shown to improve grades. I do want to draw attention to a few areas of concern with this approach including the proper usage of the software as well as certain things that could have affected and altered the results of the study.

Curricular overload in doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs is necessitating innovative approaches to support student learning. The purpose of this study was to describe the design, delivery, and assessment of a non-credit extracurricular course that reinforced foundational concepts through the application of learning in case-based activities. A 14-week extracurricular course, designed using principles of spaced repetition and interleaving in the context of case-based exercises, was offered to third-year PharmD students. Content focused on Top 300 and over-the-counter medications, brown bag sessions/drug utilization review, and medication therapy management. Short-term course effectiveness was assessed through post-course focus groups. Longitudinal effectiveness was assessed nine months post-course using an online survey. Qualitative data were analyzed using a content analysis process with overarching themes identified. Clinical interventions identified in the post-course survey were analyzed descriptively. Twenty-four students completed the course and all assessments. Focus group themes were: (1) making connections to prior learning; (2) moving beyond memorizing facts; and (3) benefit from a low-stakes course. Students identified 162 course-linked clinical interventions during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) in 16 different settings. Student learning can be enhanced through integration of evidence-based teaching strategies both within and across the curriculum. This can be accomplished not only through introduction of an extracurricular course but through modification of existing courses. Providing additional opportunities for reinforcing core clinical knowledge and applying clinical decision-making in a low-stakes environment was well-received by students and helped them make clinical interventions during APPEs. • Students found value in completing a 14-week, non-credit extracurricular course. • Students are willing to spend weekly time on Fridays to enhance their learning. • Qualitative assessments provided explanatory information about student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing spaced repetition schedules is of great importance for enhancing long-term memory retention in both real-world applications, e.g., online learning platforms, and academic applications, e.g., cognitive science. Traditional methods tackle this problem by employing handcrafted rules while modern methods try to optimize scheduling using deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Existing DRL-based approaches model the problem by selecting the optimal next item to appear, which implies the learner can only learn one item in a day. However, the most essential point to enhancing long-term memory is to select the optimal interval to review. To this end, we present a novel approach to DRL to optimize spaced repetition scheduling. The contribution of our framework is three-fold. We first introduce a Transformer-based model to estimate the recall probability of a learning item accurately, which encodes the temporal dynamics of a learner’s learning trajectories. Second, we build a simulation environment based on our recall probability estimation model. Third, we utilize the Deep Q-Network (DQN) as the agent to learn the optimal review intervals for learning items and train the policy in a recurrent manner. Experimental results demonstrate that our framework achieves state-of-the-art performance against competing methods. Our method achieves an MAE (mean average error) score of 0.0274 on a memory prediction task, which is 11% lower than the second-best method. For spaced repetition scheduling, our method achieves mean recall probabilities of 0.92, 0.942, and 0.372 in three different environments, the best performance in all scenarios.

Lifelong learning is critical to a successful career in radiology, but many learners use inefficient or ineffective studying strategies developed from personal experience. Decades of cognitive psychology research have identified several techniques that consistently improve knowledge consolidation and retrieval. To improve their knowledge and ultimately patient care, radiologists should strive to understand and adopt these learning techniques. The first part of this article reviews several evidence-based learning principles, including active retrieval and the testing effect, spaced repetition, interleaving, deliberate practice, and growth mind-set. The second part provides practical suggestions on how to incorporate these principles into radiology learning, both during training and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As medical schools worldwide condense the preclinical phase of medical education, it is increasingly important to identify resources that help medical students retain and employ the medical information. One popular tool among medical students is an application called Anki, a free and open-source flashcard program utilizing spaced repetition for quick and durable memorization. The purpose of this study is to determine how variable Anki usage among first-year medical students throughout a standardized anatomy and physiology course correlates with performance. Methods: We designed a novel Anki add-on called "Anki Stat Scraper" to collect data on first-year medical students at Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine during their 8-week anatomy and physiology course. Anki users (N = 45) were separated into four groups: Heavy (N = 5), intermediate (N = 5), light (N = 16), and limited-Anki (N = 19) users, based on the time each student spent on the flashcard app, how many flashcards they studied per day, and how many days they used the app prior to their anatomy and physiology exam. A 14-question Likert scale questionnaire was administered to each participant to gauge their understanding of Anki and how they used the app to study. Results: Heavy and intermediate Anki users had higher average exam scores than their counterparts who did not use Anki as a study method. Average exam scores were 90.34%, 91.74%, 85.86%, and 87.75% for heavy, intermediate, light, and limited-Anki users respectively (p > 0.05). Our survey demonstrated that Anki users spent an average of 73.86% of their study time using Anki, compared to an average of 36.53% for limited-Anki users (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Anki users did not score significantly higher compared to limited-Anki users. However, survey responses from students believe that Anki may still be a useful educational tool for future medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spaced repetition study tools aim to optimize study time and maximize learning retention. An alternative to cramming (and then forgetting) information, spaced repetition reinforces learning by revisiting information over time in optimal intervals. Study tools utilizing spaced repetition algorithms have become widely used among students in many health professions, often forming a parallel curriculum to the official curriculum of textbooks and lectures. Examples of these tools include the open-source flashcard program Anki and the subscription-based visual learning platforms Osmosis and Picmonic. Health professions educators, including health science librarians, can learn from learners how they use spaced repetition study tools and thus potentially adjust teaching strategies and library collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Millions of patients present to US emergency departments every year with OB/GYN concerns. Emergency medicine trainees must be adequately prepared to care for this population, regardless of how commonly they appear in the training environment. We used active learning and gamification principles in this curriculum to increase learner engagement and participation in the material. Methods We chose OB/GYN topics based on review of Tintinalli's OB/GYN content and the American Board of Emergency Medicine's Model of Clinical Practice. Each session comprised a case-based lecture and review questions using the game-based Kahoot! online software. Pre- and postcurriculum surveys assessed residents' confidence in caring for emergent OB/GYN pathologies on a 5-point Likert scale. We designed survey questions assessing the first level of Kirkpatrick's levels of training evaluation; these questions were reviewed and revised by the department's Medical Education Scholarship Committee for validity. Results A mean of 18 residents attended each session. Seventy-six percent of residents (26 of 34) completed the precurriculum survey, 67% (23 of 34) completed the postcurriculum survey, and 44% (15 of 34) completed both. For all respondents, mean reported confidence with curriculum topics increased from 3.5 to 4.0 (p < .05). For residents completing both surveys, confidence increased from 3.4 to 4.0 (p < .01). Discussion Application of this curriculum significantly improved learner confidence in targeted OB/GYN topics. Future directions could include evaluating curricular impact at higher levels in the Kirkpatrick model, extending sessions to include more time for interaction, and adding suggested readings.

Introduction: Now widespread in emergency medicine (EM) residency programs, asynchronous curriculum (AC) moves education outside of classic classrooms. Our program’s prior AC had residents learning in isolation, achieving completion via quizzes before advancing without the benefit of deliberate knowledge reinforcement. We sought to increase engagement and spaced repetition by creating a social AC using gamification.  Methods: We created a website featuring monthly options from textbooks and open-access medical education. Residents selected four hours of material, and then submitted learning points. Using these learning points, trivia competitions were created. Residents competed in teams as “houses” during didactic conference, allowing for spaced repetition. Residents who were late in completing AC assignments caused their “house” to lose points, thus encouraging timely completion. Results: Completion rates prior to deadline are now >95% compared to ~30% before intervention. Surveys show increased AC enjoyment with residents deeming it more valuable clinically and for EM board preparation. Conclusion: Socially synchronized AC offers a previously undescribed method of increasing resident engagement via gamification.

Purpose: Research has demonstrated that learners who practice self‐testing have superior long‐term retention compared to those rereading the material alone, a phenomenon called test‐enhanced learning. This testing effect can be leveraged by spacing out the testing practice over time, a technique called spaced repetition. In 2017, we provided dental students at the school with access to Osmosis, a web‐based platform that supports test‐enhanced learning and spaced repetition through flashcards. This exploratory study examined students' adoption of self‐testing with flashcards and its impact on learning performance in basic sciences. Methods: Participants were 143 first‐year predoctoral students at a dental school in the US. The platform analytics revealed the number of flashcards students answered throughout the first academic year (2019–2020). Regression analyses examined how self‐testing with flashcards impacted students' exam scores in basic sciences. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests examined the difference in students' exam performance among the non, minimal, occasional, and regular flashcard users who answered 0, 1–99, 100–499, and over 500 flashcards, respectively. Results: Students answered 82,766 flashcards during the year. Additionally, they created 17,973 flashcards using the platform's flashcard authoring tool. Regression analyses showed that self‐testing with flashcards correlated positively with students' exam performance in anatomy, biochemistry, nutrition, and physiology. ANOVA results revealed a statistically significant difference in students' exam performance in anatomy, biochemistry, and nutrition among the four groups. Conclusions: This study is the first in dental education to examine students' self‐testing on the Osmosis platform. Results revealed that there was widespread adoption of self‐testing with flashcards. The study provided additional evidence to support the value of self‐testing for dental students. It has practical implications of how test‐enhanced learning can be incorporated into dental education to support student learning. The study contributed to the test‐enhanced learning literature in dental education, an area that has been underexplored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improved long-term learning retention leads to higher exam scores and overall course grades, which is crucial for success in preclinical coursework in any podiatric medicine curriculum. Audiovisual mnemonics, in conjunction with text-based materials and an interactive user interface, have been shown to increase memory retention and higher order thinking., Objective: This pilot study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of integrating web-based multimedia learning resources for improving student engagement and increasing learning retention., Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 2 cohorts totaling 158 second-year podiatric medical students. The treatment group had access to Picmonic's audiovisual resources, while the control group followed traditional instruction methods. Exam scores, final course grades, and user interactions with Picmonic were analyzed. Logistic regression and correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between Picmonic access, performance outcomes, and student engagement., Results: The treatment group (n=91) had significantly higher average exam scores (P<.001) and final course grades (P<.001) than the control group (n=67). Effect size for the average final grades (d=0.96) indicated the practical significance of these differences. Logistic regression analysis revealed a positive association between Picmonic access with an odds ratio of 2.72 with a 95% confidence interval, indicating that it is positively associated with the likelihood of achieving high final grades. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship (r=0.25, P=.02) between the number of in-video questions answered and students' final grades. Survey responses reflected increased student engagement, comprehension, and higher user satisfaction (3.71 out of 5 average rating) with the multimedia-based resources compared to traditional instructional resources., Conclusions: This pilot study underscores the positive impact of animation-supported web-based instruction on preclinical medical education. The treatment group, equipped with Picmonic, exhibited improved learning outcomes, enhanced engagement, and high satisfaction. These results contribute to the discourse on innovative educational methods and highlight the potential of multimedia-based learning resources to enrich medical curricula. Despite certain limitations, this research suggests that animation-supported audiovisual instruction offers a valuable avenue for enhancing student learning experiences in medical education., (© Garrik Hoyt, Chandra Shekhar Bakshi, Paramita Basu. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (https://mededu.jmir.org).)

Background Electronic flashcards, such as Anki (https://apps.ankiweb.net/), are an educational resource that has been positively received by medical students worldwide. This is evidenced by surveys and improved examination results. However, little research has been conducted on the use of flashcards by undergraduate medical students at universities in the United Kingdom (UK), particularly within musculoskeletal sciences (MSK). Research Question The research question was: Are electronic flashcards (such as Anki) an effective educational tool for undergraduate medical students studying MSK? Methods Population The study population included all medical students enrolled in the undergraduate course at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), UK, during their MSK module rotation in 2023/2024. Intervention Each student was assigned a learning objective from the MSK curriculum and required to create Anki flashcards based on their assigned topic. These cards were then collated, quality-controlled, and redistributed to the entire cohort. This process not only created a comprehensive educational tool for the MSK syllabus but also introduced Anki to all students. Outcome The outcome was a survey employing a quantitative methodology using Likert scales (1 = least, 5 = most). Results The sample size was 61 students. The survey revealed that the effectiveness of electronic flashcards for studying MSK received a mean score of 4.03 (SD ± 1.05), with 50.1% of students rating it 5/5 on the Likert scale. Comparatively, the effectiveness of Anki in non-MSK modules showed a significantly lower mean score of 3.71 (SD ± 1.44), ( p < 0.05). The assignment also resulted in a significant increase in Anki usage, with the mean score rising from 3.34 (SD ± 1.48) before the intervention to 3.89 (SD ± 1.20) after ( p < 0.05). Students who were new to Anki (n = 25) rated the effectiveness of the assignment in introducing them to the platform at a mean score of 3.98. Conclusion This survey demonstrated that electronic flashcards are perceived as an effective educational tool by undergraduate medical students in the UK. Flashcards were found to be more effective for studying within the MSK module compared to other modules. Furthermore, the assignment significantly increased participation in Anki by introducing students to a novel methodology for studying., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Anglia Ruskin University School Research Ethics Panel issued approval ETH2223-8674. Principal Investigator: Edward Peter Laurent. Research ethics application number: ETH2223-8674. Project Title: The Effectiveness of Virtual Flashcards in Undergraduate Medical Students Studying Musculoskeletal Sciences. Risk Level: Yellow (Medium). The ethics application has been approved by the School Research Ethics Panel (SREP) under the terms of ARU’s Research Ethics Policy (available on the research ethics website at www.aru.ac.uk/researchethics). Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2025, Laurent et al.)

The Global Teaching Institute (GTI) at Tokyo International University (TIU) was founded in 2013 with 10 faculty members and now in 2022 has 55 faculty members. In order to provide students with similar learning opportunities while improving and supplementing their general English vocabulary, the writers of the present paper, decided in phases, from small beta-runs in 2013 and 2014 to implement vocabulary learning app assignments institutionally for all English-major first- and second-year students. The spaced repetition learning app that has been utilized is WordEngine. This paper will provide an overview of the rationale and implementation as well as an introduction to WordEngine.

Medical students are faced with many unprecedented challenges, one of which is the large amount of material they are required to learn and retain. While effective learning strategies have been thoroughly researched, stress levels amongst medical students remain very high due to perceived failure to retain material, suggesting that novel methods of implementing such existing strategies are required. Aside from stress levels, additional challenges in medical education include the incorporation of inconsistent testing methods and the challenge of accommodating different learning styles and preferences. A more evidence-based approach that aims to cover many learning styles at once may be desirable. The aim of this commentary is to present some of the current learning and teaching strategies utilized within medical education across the world and to promote a novel supplementary approach to medical education involving a variable ratio incentive-based system of active recall and spaced repetition. This system aims to reward small achievements throughout the semester and complements formal structured examinations in order to motivate students. While this model has yet to be tested, we hope to motivate medical faculty to pilot a program with these evidence-based strategies in mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of multi-word units (MWUs) helps to facilitate communicative fluency and research of them has gained more and more attention in recent years in regard to teaching methods and designing materials for second language (L2) acquisition. Incidental and intentional vocabulary learning are two dominant approaches to acquiring MWUs. In lexical studies, much research has examined the effects of these methods in various contexts. However, a gap in the research remains in regard to materials development. This study aims to discuss various interventions that affect the teaching and learning of MWUs. This paper will highlight how more exposure and focusing learners’ attention on particular MWUs is essential to efficient acquisition of MWUs fluency, and that this can be achieved through intentional learning activities such as the use of appropriately designed specialist digital flashcard-style computer applications. Specifically, pedagogical implications are discussed when such applications employ either spaced repetition or a Leitner algorithm.

Assessment in veterinary medicine is challenging given the high volume of material and high cognitive load. Differing opinions exist regarding the utility of comprehensive final examinations in veterinary courses. A mixed-methods prospective randomized trial was undertaken with veterinary students ( n = 47) in an elective cardiology course. All students received identical content, which was presented through weekly in-class lectures (eight total lessons). They were given access to four different formats of study aids and completed quizzes of content knowledge within 1 week of each lesson. For the cumulative final examination (post-test), students were explicitly instructed to study only for four out of the eight lessons. Students then completed a delayed post-test 3-6 months after completion of the course. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in the form of in-depth pre- and post-course surveys. Overall, studying a particular lesson for the post-test resulted in higher scores for six out of eight lessons in the post-test ( p < .05) but did not result in significantly higher scores for any lesson in the delayed post-test. Time spent studying for individual quizzes, as well as other measures of study habits, decreased significantly throughout the semester. Among study aids, student preference was highest for instructor-provided graphic organizers, and this preference persisted across the semester with a shift away from instructor-provided outlines over time ( p = .043). Free-text survey responses showed that students had realistic expectations for the impact of studying for the post-test and appreciated exposure to a variety of study aid formats. In an elective veterinary cardiology course, review of material prior to a cumulative final examination led to improved short-term performance but no difference in retention 3-6 months later.

Medical students are faced with many unprecedented challenges, one of which is the large amount of material they are required to learn and retain. While effective learning strategies have been thoroughly researched, stress levels amongst medical students remain very high due to perceived failure to retain material, suggesting that novel methods of implementing such existing strategies are required. Aside from stress levels, additional challenges in medical education include the incorporation of inconsistent testing methods and the challenge of accommodating different learning styles and preferences. A more evidence-based approach that aims to cover many learning styles at once may be desirable. The aim of this commentary is to present some of the current learning and teaching strategies utilized within medical education across the world and to promote a novel supplementary approach to medical education involving a variable ratio incentive-based system of active recall and spaced repetition. This system aims to reward small achievements throughout the semester and complements formal structured examinations in order to motivate students. While this model has yet to be tested, we hope to motivate medical faculty to pilot a program with these evidence-based strategies in mind.

In the realm of foreign language education, most educational institutions' syllabi and textbooks organize content in a linear fashion, moving from topic to topic. By nature of having disparate topics, the vocabulary and grammar can vary widely with little overlap beyond the most frequently used words of a language. While the linear approach may be suitable for learning topics in one's first language (L1) since a rich linguistic schematic network has already been built, in the case of EFL students, this approach is flawed due to students' lack of meaningful exposure and practice of the target language/vocabulary outside of the classroom, and as a result, second language (L2) learners forget much of the vocabulary that is studied. A different approach, via using a spiral syllabus, is proposed to teach L2 learners, which may build a richer schematic network and consequently strengthen long-term memory. In this interpretative analysis, the relationship between schema theory, memory, and its application to second language learning is explored. Justified by the theoretical research of schema theory and empirical studies of spaced repetition systems, a proposal for a spiral syllabus and the need for further research in this area is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of multi-word units (MWUs) helps facilitate communicative fluency, and research on them has gained more and more attention in recent years concerning teaching methods and designing materials for second language (L2) acquisition. Incidental and intentional vocabulary learning are two dominant approaches to acquiring MWUs. In lexical studies, much research has examined the effects of these methods in various contexts. However, a gap in the research remains concerning materials development. This study aims to discuss various interventions that affect the teaching and learning of MWUs. This paper will highlight how more exposure and focusing learners' attention on particular MWUs is essential to the efficient acquisition of MWUs fluency. It can be achieved through intentional learning activities such as appropriately designed specialist digital flashcard-style computer applications and smartphone apps. Specifically, pedagogical implications are discussed when such applications employ either spaced repetition or a Leitner algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postgraduate residencies utilize academic half-days to supplement clinical learning. Spaced repetition reinforces taught content to improve retention. We leveraged spaced repetition in a curriculum companion for a paediatric residency program's half-day. One half-day lecture was chosen weekly for reinforcement (day 0). Participants received 3 key points on day 1 and a multiple-choice question (MCQ) on day 8. On day 29, they received two MCQs to test reinforced and unreinforced content from the same day 0. Thirty-one (79%) residents participated over 17 weeks, but only 14 (36%) completed more than half of the weekly quizzes. Of all quizzes, 37.4% were completed, with an average weekly engagement of 5.5 minutes. Helpfulness to learning was rated as 7.89/10 on a Likert-like scale. Reported barriers were missing related half-days and emails, or limited time. There was no significant difference in performance between reinforced (63.4%, [53.6–73.3]) and unreinforced (65.6%, [53.7–73.2]) questions. Spaced repetition is a proven strategy in learning science, but was not shown to improve performance. Operational barriers likely limited participation and underpowered our analysis, therefore future implementation must consider practical and individual barriers to facilitate success. Our results also illustrate that satisfaction alone is an inadequate marker of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cumulative assessment refers to interspersed testing in which each assessment covers all previous content and the mean assessments' grade weighs in for the final exam grade. The effect of cumulative assessment on motivation and performance might differ between summative (i.e. assessment grades weigh in for the final exam grade) and formative (i.e. the assessments grades do not weigh in) variants. The present study explored this hypothesis in two field experiments in a higher education course (Exp 1: n = 102; Exp 2: n = 88). Each experiment used a single-factor, between-subjects design with type of cumulative assessment (i.e. summative vs formative) as independent variable and motivation (Exp 1: self-study time, topic interest, perceived competence; Exp 2: preparation time and self-efficacy) and performance (Exp 2: cumulative assessment performance; Exp1 and Exp2: final exam grade and delayed test performance) as dependent variables. The results of both experiments reinforced each other. In the summative condition, the final exam grade was higher than in the formative condition. However, when the summative assessments were discarded from the final grade, this difference disappeared. Also, in both experiments, the conditions did not differ on motivation measures. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical knowledge is growing. We struggle a lot to retain most of the studied information, but we forget it. Most of us are unaware of how to study effectively and improve memory.Understanding the neurobiology of learning and knowing some of the productive study techniques backed up by the researches can help us to study as well as learn effectively. This article may help medical students to study productively and motivate them to search for effective ways of studying actively.

Students’ EFL learning experience in the rural context is poorer in comparison to urban quality of education. More than 70% of students at the State Agrarian and Engineering University in Podillia are from rural areas. To reduce rural-urban disparities in academic learning the university teachers should use high-quality instruction techniques that can make the process of studying both effective and motivating. The traditional methods of EFL teaching no longer satisfy the needs of modern society. Hence, technology applications need a theoretical foundation based on experimental surveys to determine the strategies for effective EFL learning. This research paper was conducted to examine the possibility of utilising such MALL technology like Quizlet in improving EFL learners’ vocabulary acquisition. A brief review of scholarly literature published from 2005-2019 on Quizlet implementation in foreign language learning showed that there are many studies on the benefits of using Quizlet in EFL vocabulary acquisition. However, the research papers on the principles and strategies for adequate Quizlet-based learning in Ukrainian higher educational institutions are still lacking. Pre- and post-experimental questionnaires, pre- and post-experimental tests were adopted as tools for data collection. The results of the experiment have proven the proposed hypothesis. After utilising Quizlet and using spaced repetition technique for vocabulary learning to prepare undergraduates to state English exam, the results proved that the learners of the experimental group improved their level of EFL vocabulary at the post-test.

This project is an Application to make a user understand and learn the basics of a language. Kannada Kali focuses on the 4 main aspects of language learning: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. While a child learns, detecting real word error is a really difficult task and requires advanced statistical processing, Data Mining and Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques which we have implemented in this project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the current methodological possibilities of modeling the process of learning a foreign language using innovative models, computer technology, interactive development, appearing with the expanding capabilities of the Internet, informatization and computerization of society. The particular importance in this regard is the problem of choosing the optimal innovation technologies, which is solved by the identification of the key components The Internet is not only an indispensable source of information, but also a mean of interactive learning. The modeling process provides a possibility to choose optimal innovative technologies, due to which we can improve the entire educational process. Modern possibilities to model the process of teaching foreign languages can be interesting not only to specialists in the field of education and linguistics, but to all those who wish to maintain or improve their proficiency level in foreign languages.

Use of digital flashcards promotes active recall, spaced repetition, and self-assessment academic principles. This work explores the association and dose-dependent effect of this study method and locomotor (LP) and cardiovascular physiology (CP) grades. A single-faculty cohort study of medical LP and CP students was conducted, and 155 and 676 flashcards, respectively, were created through Moodle. An exploratory analysis examined three exam results (2019), and a confirmatory study used a fourth exam (2021) in another CP cohort. Of 685 students enrolled, 558 participated in the exploratory analysis: 319 (69%) for LP and 311 (84%) for CP, of which 203 LP and 267 CP students were flashcard users. Median grades were higher among flashcard users, and the number of cards reviewed was positively correlated with grades ( r = 0.275 to 0.388 for LP and r = 0.239 to 0.432 for CP, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression models confirmed a positive dose-dependent association between results and the number of flashcards studied: for every 100 LP cards reviewed, exam grades increased 0.44-0.75 on a 0-20 scale range ( P < 0.001), and for every 1,000 CP flashcards, results raised 0.81-1.08 values ( P < 0.05). These findings were confirmed in the 2021 CP cohort of 269 participants, of whom 67% were flashcard users. Digital flashcard revision has a consistent positive dose-dependent association on LP and CP grades. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Implementing flashcard-based strategies is a feasible way to promote active recall, spaced repetition, and self-assessment, and students are highly adherent to these initiatives. There is a positive dose-dependent association between the number of flashcards reviewed and physiology grades. These results are consistent across different physiology subjects, under different cohorts, over short and medium terms.

The use of spaced repetition within a physics higher education thermodynamics module has been analysed for: its pattern of use by students; its effect on memory and performance in the end of module exam; and performance in a delayed test after the summer vacation. A custom-built web app with the facility to generate a personalised repetition timetable was used to deliver practice questions on the material throughout the module. Just over a quarter of students, spanning the whole ability range of the class, made use of the app in some way, about half using it in a spaced manner and half using it for massed practice just before the exam. Students who engaged in a spaced manner had an adjusted mean exam score of 70%, compared to 64% for massed usage and 61% for non-usage. The spaced usage represents a positive effect size of 0.47 over non-usage, which is statistically significant (𝑝𝑝 = 0.000056). For the delayed test the mean adjusted scores for spacers and non-users were 45% and 34% respectively. Whilst less material had been retained over the summer, this revealed a statistically significant ( 𝑝𝑝 = 0.021) positive effect size of 0.54. This work provides evidence and mechanisms to involve students in repetitive practice during the learning phase of a course to advantage their long term retention of material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applied memory research in the field of cognitive and educational psychology has generated a large body of data to support the use of spacing and testing to promote long-term or durable memory. Despite the consensus of this scientific community, most learners, including radiology residents, do not utilize these tools for learning new information. We present a discussion of these parallel and synergistic learning techniques and their incorporation into a software platform, called Spaced Radiology, which we created for teaching radiology residents. Specifically, this software uses these evidence-based strategies to teach pediatric radiology through a flashcard deck system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spaced repetition is a technique for efficient memorization which uses repeated review of content following a schedule determined by a spaced repetition algorithm to improve long-term retention. However, current spaced repetition algorithms are simple rule-based heuristics with a few hard-coded parameters. Here, we introduce a flexible representation of spaced repetition using the framework of marked temporal point processes and then address the design of spaced repetition algorithms with provable guarantees as an optimal control problem for stochastic differential equations with jumps. For two well-known human memory models, we show that, if the learner aims to maximize recall probability of the content to be learned subject to a cost on the reviewing frequency, the optimal reviewing schedule is given by the recall probability itself. As a result, we can then develop a simple, scalable online spaced repetition algorithm, MEMORIZE, to determine the optimal reviewing times. We perform a large-scale natural experiment using data from Duolingo, a popular language-learning online platform, and show that learners who follow a reviewing schedule determined by our algorithm memorize more effectively than learners who follow alternative schedules determined by several heuristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consolidating all of the knowledge that medical students are expected to learn in their first two years of education can be challenging. Strategies for committing concepts to memory are explored. The importance of making the most out of case-based learning is emphasized. In contrast with passive-styled learning in lectures, CBL takes an active approach requiring students to apply critical thinking. The power of active recall in committing information to memory is also delved into. In particular, one effective and popular form of active recall known as the testing effect is highly recommended. Applying these strategies will help medical students develop a strong foundation for clerkship.

Introduction: Asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is the presence of bacteria in the urine without attributable signs or symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI). This condition is often inappropriately treated per the 2019 Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines. This quality improvement project aimed to reduce improper treatment of ASB via a three-phase spaced repetition approach over a 12-month 2021-2022 period within a Michigan emergency department (ED), targeting 43 ED clinicians., Methods: During Phase I, a 20-minute teleconference educational intervention was delivered by an Infectious Disease physician and pharmacist. During Phase II, a "hard stop" was implemented within the electronic health record preventing reflex urinalysis culture without indication. During Phase III, a latent period of no intervention took place. The authors' goal was to achieve > 80% compliance to ASB treatment guidelines., Results: Overall compliance after the project initiative was 66.7%, an absolute increase of 16.7% from baseline compliance. Using data from 54 patients, this represented a statistically significant (p = 0.01) increase from baseline but fell short of the target of > 80%., Discussion: Although the authors fell short of their goal of a 30% increase, data from the project suggests a spaced repetition approach to education and workflow changes could be an effective method to increasing medical provider compliance with treatment of ASB., Conclusion: Identifying the ideal strategy to change treatment patterns of ED clinicians for ASB to align with guidelines remains key. There is still a need for ongoing efforts in this realm for progress to be made. Keywords: asymptomatic bacteriuria, urinary tract infection, compliance, spaced repetition, antibiotics., Competing Interests: None