What to look for in good elearning digital media: a checklist.

I've been wanting to develop a study guide for one of my classes and embed it in the course and I thought Quizlet might be a useful tool so I chose this one to explore. https://quizlet.com

The tool should provide a method of cognitive intervention in order to incite some form of learning. In this case, I was looking for a tool to improve my students' working memory of common childhood illnesses. The flash card, repetition, study style of Quizlet would lend itself quite well to this type of learning.

The brain responds to visual, auditory, or motor process stimulation. This in turn changes its shape and function by creating or strengthening neural connections across synapses. The repetitive nature of the cards would do well to create those connections.

Training that is effective should provide the stimuli to the brain in one or more of these forms. In addition, the user's motivation to learn as well as her or his emotional state contribute to the tool's overall impact. Quizlet relies almost solely on visual stimulation, reading words to learn how to create a set of cards. There is an option to record audio questions and answers, which I felt could be useful as well and I was glad to see it. I was motivated to learn the tool so that was no problem. For someone less willing, it could be a bit dull however. I did find some training webinars in the part of the help section just for teachers but these were quite long (close to an hour) and featured still slides with voice over, so not that interesting, though the voice was friendly and upbeat.

A well-planned, positive experience makes for a contented emotional state and smoother learning, thus a more useful tool. Quizlet did meet this criteria as I could tell it was thoughtfully designed and centered around ease of use.

Is the tool free?

X Yes

It is free but the first thing it does is use a pop up to invite you to upgrade for $34.99 per year.

Is the goal of the tool clear?

Goal is clearly stated on opening page. “Search millions of study sets or create your own….”

X Yes

Appealing visual layout?

X Yes

It opens to a page almost stark in nature but very clear with where to start and where to find what is needed.

Are complex tasks broken down into a series of steps?

X Yes

Each card is presented ready to create. A colored line indicates where to begin typing and moves to the next spot once you are done.

Are instructions provided in more than one modality?

X No

For general instructions I only saw written format.

Is there enough instruction and practice provided to take on the task confidently?

X Yes

I found this tool to be pretty straight forward. It was easy to find sets of cards created by other users to use as models. This translated well into giving me the confidence to make my own set.

Was the overall experience enjoyable?

X Yes

It was as enjoyable as creating flash cards can be. The task I’d like to use them for requires rote memorization in order to develop a working knowledge of the symptoms of communicable illness. My enjoyment came from creating a study tool for my students that would be quick, easy, and effective.