It can be really difficult to get students to focus and use their time well at this time of year. I also don't want the iPads to go unused just because we are in exams. At the start of using this app, I made my own "deck" of cue cards/flip cards as the unit progressed. It worked well to reinforce the concepts. Students joined the class and could view my deck of cards and use them as a quiz, a review sheet or a flash-card like activity. The app really becomes more and more powerful when the students start making their own decks and sharing them with the class. I think that this helps to employ some of the higher order thinking skills because students are reviewing their notes and trying to identify key concepts and devising questioning techniques around these concepts.
The best part during exams is that students pair off and practice with the iPads during the quiet days. They have self-assigned areas of strength and have taken on making decks in those areas. They can go backwards through the old decks in other units to help review and refresh the content. I encouraged the other section of chemistry that is happening at the same time to join our class. That teacher could not believe how well the 75 minutes were used with the iPads and how engaged and focused the class was. Students have also self-reported better retention of information and performance on tests. Some students have started other classes and are encouraging others to use this tool. Once students leave the class, they can access the app on android and iOS devices and on their home computers so this goes beyond just an in-class app. The free version is perfect for class use. I will put some images into the questions but cannot put images into the answers because I have not subscribed.
This app only really goes beyond drill-and-kill practice when the students themselves start to make the cue cards and collaborate in making the cards.
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