Learning Pulse

Mobile learning - vocabulary wheel

Now and then on the bus I see university students using cue cards as flash cards. I can see this as a useful manual way of a prediction exercise for vocabulary definitions or translations. The digital counter part could be a hide and reveal in the form of a disjoint rollover, or click and check answer.

But why use digital if you can do it without batteries? And, why not distribute vocabulary lists and other declarative material to students in more compact forms than the 8.5" by 11" sheet?

Cue cards are good because they are hand-sized, lined, and big enough to put long words or long definitions or drawings on one side. One problem is that a pile of them can be rather large to carry around in your pocket, and you have to find or buy cue cards or thick lined paper. The problem with cue cards as flash cards you need to fasten them together or they could easily scatter like a deck of cards if you get bumped by someone's elbow, purse or backpack. Hole punching the corner and putting a ring through it all could help.

This is where the vocabulary wheel can become handy. So what if kid's are doing it in public school - using scissors is fun for everyone.
I thought of vocabulary wheels as cool after seing them used for slide rules, for circular slide rules, and such. You can make them by cutting round discs or circles out of cereal box cardboard. The size can be small enough to fit in your pocket or purse. For the pin I used those once ubiquitous canada maple leaf pins. In one circle you cut a notch or slot on each end of one bisecting line. The slot needs to be as long as wide as the biggest word you will view through it.

Of course there are limitations. Printing in the vocabulary can be time consuming, but you can use it as part of your memorization practice. Here we can use computers as a tool to help. How can we automate the making of the discs and printing the vocabulary? How about a vocabulary input page and an applet that lays the vocablary out to fit on the vocabulary wheel?

posted by Brian @ 9:49 AM