Incremental, Spaced Repetition and StudyMate Flashcards: The Impact on College Student Memorization of Measurement Conversion Standards

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of and student perception of incremental, spaced repetition of StudyMate electronic flashcard use on memorization of measurement conversion standards for an online Mathematics in Health Sciences course. Online college classes require more self-direction and usually do not allow for partner or group work. These characteristics of online classes may hinder students’ ability to memorize crucial information, increasing their cognitive load and leading to feelings of inadequacy. This mixed methods study assessed the impact of incremental, spaced repetition of StudyMate flashcard use on college math students’ memorization of measurement conversion standards and explored student perceptions of StudyMate flashcard use for memorizing measurement conversion standards. Participants in this study were 18 students in an online Mathematics in Health Sciences course at a midwestern community college. The intervention consisted of incremental, spaced repetition use of StudyMate flashcards to memorize measurement conversion standards in an online course. The quantitative data collected included Measurement Conversion Standards Assessment pre- and post-test scores as well as student perception survey responses. Qualitative data was collected from interview responses. Data for this study was analyzed separately and then integrated for a comprehensive finding. The finding indicated that incremental, spaced repetition use of electronic flashcards for memorization of measurement conversion standards resulted in significantly higher mean scores on the Measurement Conversion Standards Assessment and significantly lower standard deviation among the scores. In addition, data analysis enabled identification of certain factors that impacted the efficiency and the effectiveness of studying with flashcards, and revealed that students who used electronic flashcards for memorization of measurement conversion standards developed positive attitudes towards using flashcards. The findings suggest that students in online college math classes can successfully memorize conversion standards through the incremental, spaced repetition use of electronic flashcards. Implications and limitations of this study are discussed