I should have known it was coming. The tried-and-true method of studying – using flashcards to aid in memorization – has now been digitized. With special Flash 2.0 index cards, students can scan their notecards and then share them with others electronically.
It’s billed as “the smart way to study” but I think that discounts all the research that says handwriting helps people to remember things. I also believe that writing your own notecards will be more effective than flipping through scans of the work someone else did! But I am old-school, so what do I know?
Technology is a wonderful thing and it has brought untold benefits to our work and lives — but not everything is better by being gamified or digitized. Before you deliver content electronically, ask yourself if a tactile approach would have a greater impact.
Sometimes, the handwritten note – or notecard – has more power.
