How College Students Use Digital Flashcards During Self-Regulated Learning - A Large Survey

Aug 29, 2026

Digital flashcards—computer programs, smartphone apps, and online services that mirror paper tools—have expanded rapidly over the past two decades in variety and popularity. Many platforms let learners create, customize, and draw cards from multiple sources, yet limited research explains why and how students actually use them in self-regulated learning. A large undergraduate survey (n=901) examines usage patterns, acquisition, beliefs about proper use, and differences between paper and digital formats, informing learning optimization.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background on Digital Flashcards

Features and Adoption

Self-Regulated Learning Decisions

Planning, Use, and Scheduling

Survey Approach and Key Findings

How do college students use digital ﬂashcards during self-regulated learning? Inez Zung a,b, Megan N. Imundo a and Steven C. Pan a,c aDepartment of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; bDepartment of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; cDepartment of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, digital ﬂashcards – that is, computer programmes, smartphone apps, and online services that mimic, and potentially improve upon, the capabilities of traditional paper ﬂashcards – have grown in variety and popularity. Many digital ﬂashcard platforms allow learners to make or use ﬂashcards from a variety of sources and customise the way in which ﬂashcards are used. Yet relatively little is known about why and how students actually use digital ﬂashcards during self-regulated learning, and whether such uses are supported by research from the science of learning. To address these questions, we conducted a large survey of undergraduate students (n= 901) at a major [U.S. university. The](U.S. university. The)[ ](U.S. university. The)survey revealed insights into the popularity, acquisition, and usage of digital ﬂashcards, beliefs about how digital ﬂashcards are to be used during self-regulated learning, and diﬀerences in uses of paper versus digital ﬂashcards, all of which have implications for the optimisation of student learning. Overall, our results suggest that college students commonly use digital ﬂashcards in a manner that only partially reﬂects evidence-based learning principles, and as such, the pedagogical potential of digital ﬂashcards remains to be fully realised. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 20 December 2021 Accepted 22 March 2022 KEYWORDS Digital ﬂashcards; online learning technologies; distributed practice; retrieval practice; self-regulated learning Today’s students have access to a wide array of educational technologies, including modern implementations of traditional learning tools. For instance, digital ﬂashcards (also called computer ﬂashcards, electronic ﬂashcards, or virtual ﬂashcards) duplicate the functions of conventional paper ﬂashcards (i.e., index cards that typically contain related information on each side of the card, such as a concept and its explanation or a practice problem and its worked answer), including the ability to engage in self-testing by using one side as a prompt to recall information on thereverse side. However, unlike paper ﬂashcards, digital ﬂashcards are typically created, stored, and used via websites, smartphone apps, and/or other programmes. Digital ﬂashcards also oﬀer more functions than paper ﬂashcards, including greater control over one’s progress during learning, the ability to present diﬀerent types of materials (e.g., multimedia), options to conﬁgure the order and frequency of ﬂashcards (e.g., using spaced repetition algorithms), easy removal or retention of individual cards for further study (via “dropping” or “starring” functions), built-in games, greater varieties of practice questions, and more. Since their commercial debut over two decades ago (e.g., Texas Instruments, 2001), digital ﬂashcards have become increasingly popular and are now used across a wide range of devices. More than a dozen systems are available (“List of ﬂashcard software,” 2021), and many continue to add features. For instance, one of the most popular digital ﬂashcard services, Quizlet, boasts over 50 million active users per month (Glotzbach, 2019) and has expanded from a solely web-based platform to both web-based and mobile applications, plus added games and diﬀerent usage modes. There is little doubt that digital ﬂashcards will, over time, continue to gain even more users and become increasingly diﬀerentiated from paper ﬂashcards. Given their growing complexity, the use of digital ﬂashcards to engage in self-regulated learning – that is, when an individual manages their learning entirel

FAQs

What are digital flashcards and how do they differ from traditional paper flashcards?

Digital flashcards replicate paper flashcards’ self-testing function but are created, stored, and used through websites or apps. They also add features such as multimedia, spaced repetition options, and progress control.

Why is using digital flashcards in self-regulated learning challenging for students?

Students must choose platforms, materials, and how to create or obtain cards, then decide which activities to do and how to schedule timing, quantity, and frequency. They also choose whether to self-test, turn cards, and use prioritization functions like dropping or starring.

What does the survey of undergraduate students reveal about digital flashcard use?

The survey highlights popularity, acquisition, and usage practices, along with learners’ beliefs about appropriate use during self-regulated learning. Results suggest students often apply principles only partially aligned with evidence-based learning.

Aug 29, 2026

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