For my second web tool, I looked at the education category.  I chose Quizlet, since there is a flashcard feature.  Really, the primary thing I’ve been looking for in an education app for myself is the ability to create, study, and hopefully print flashcards.  I am a firm believer in the educational philosophy of “learn to look it up”.  There are things that you just need to know by rote: reading, multiplication tables, etc.  That’s what the flash cards are for.  The key to learning anything else is to understand the concept and how to look it up when you need specific info.  You only need to remember the details for the class tests and/or when you work with the info frequently. 

It looks like a tool that kids would use to try to shortcut classwork.  The layout and the user-generated content make it feel like that, but once you start to generate your own materials and use the tools more carefully, it looks like a good way to keep your studying organized.  There is a lot of AI in the condensing and editing features, so you will always need to proofread carefully.  Not a bad habit to be in anyway, though. 

The interface is easy online and I’m just starting to play with the app on my phone.  There is a section that will organize notes into a study guide.  I tried that out and it seemed to work well.  The flashcard creator is smooth, but putzy.  Just about as putzy as making flashcards by hand, so that’s about a wash.  The biggest issue I’m running into is that the paywall is really close to the beginning of the functionality.  I don’t feel like I get a chance to really see whether this is worth a subscription before they try to charge me. 

Personally, I think this is going to be good for me to organize my notes into something that will make sense to study.  Also, I’m kinda a nerd and am trying to use the flashcards to teach myself to read Aurebesh.  (Cue the lightsaber noises and John Williams soundtrack.)  When I was working in International Wire, I made flashcards to learn the currency codes I worked with (all 150 or so of them), so when I have terms and abbreviations I need to memorize in a professional setting, I will definitely make use of the flashcard function. 

Hugs and Hi-Fives! –Val