The effectiveness of computer-based spaced repetition in foreign language vocabulary instruction: a double-blind study

Oct 15, 2026

The paper evaluates a novel CALL tool that uses spaced repetition to support foreign-language vocabulary instruction. An empirical double-blind study shows that EFL students who spend about three minutes per day on automatically generated vocabulary activities experience a threefold increase in long-term vocabulary retention. The work also argues that double-blind experiment designs, commonly used in high-stakes fields, can be implemented effectively in CALL research, supporting stronger methodological standards for language learning studies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature review

History of spaced repetition

Algorithms and revision schedules

Review of flashcard programs

Abstract

calico journal (online) issn 2056–9017 Article The effectiveness of computer-based spaced repetition in foreign language vocabulary instruction: a double-blind study Evgeny Chukharev-Hudilainen1 and Tatiana A. Klepikova2 Abstract The purpose of the present paper is twofold; first, we present an empirical study evaluating the effectiveness of a novel CALL tool for foreign language vocabulary instruction based on spaced repetition of target vocabulary items. The study demonstrates that by spending an average of three minutes each day on automatically generated vocabulary activities, EFL students increased their long-term vocabulary retention rate threefold. Second, we demonstrate that the double-blind experiment design, which has become standard research practice in such extremely high-stakes fields as pharmacology and healthcare, has the potential of being successfully implemented in CALL research. Keywords: activity generation; double-blind design; vocabulary acquisition Introduction The importance of building a working knowledge of vocabulary in learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) cannot be overestimated. Because students are not immersed in the target language environment, diminishing the possibilities for incidental vocabulary acquisition, vocabulary learning becomes Affiliation 1Program in Applied Linguistics and Technology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA. 2Department of English and Translation Studies, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Russia. [email: evgeny@iastate.edu](email: evgeny@iastate.edu) (corresponding author) calico journal vol 33.3 2016 334–354 ©2016, equinox publishing doi : 10.1558/cj.v33i3.26055 Evgeny Chukharev-Hudilainen and Tatiana A. Klepikova 335 a time-and effort-consuming task. Limited contact time in many EFL classes makes this challenge even more salient. In addressing the challenge of foreign language (FL) vocabulary learning, the potential of various CALL approaches has been investigated: training students to use online corpora (Gordania, 2012) or web-based dictionaries (AlJarf, 2007; Ranalli, 2013), employing CALL tools to provide students with multimodal annotations (glosses) for vocabulary items (Gorjian, Moosavinia, Kavari, Asgari, & Hydarei, 2011; Poole, 2012), designing mobile applications with pre-created sets of activities (Stockwell, 2007), or using flashcard-based spaced repetition programs (Nakata, 2011; Zhu, Fung, & Wang, 2012), which rely on pair-associate vocabulary learning. The present paper will focus on the latter approach, dealing with pair-associate learning, because it can be efficiently applied to any set of vocabulary items without the need for the instructor to develop specific activities manually. Literature review The history of spaced repetition (the concept underlying flashcard-based software) traces back to the nineteenth century, when Ebbinghaus (1885) hypothesized that the rate at which people forget information increased exponentially with time, but if an item was repeatedly revised, it tended to be forgotten ata slower rate, the latter gradually decreasing with each repetition. Further research in cognitive psychology of memory and learning articulated the following two principles (Nakata, 2008, pp. 5–6): 1. a successful recall from memory yields superior retention to mere presentation of the target item; and 2. successfully recalling an item from memory after a delay is more effective than recalling it immediately after we learn it. The two principles are contradictory, because the former calls for intervals between repetitions small enough so that the item maybe successfully recalled, while the latter, on the other hand, recommends using longer intervals. It can be inferred, therefore, that in an efficient learning strategy, items should be reviewed just when they are about to be forgotten. It is, of course, a challenge to accurately identify the moment in time when the item is on the verge

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

The study evaluates the effectiveness of a new CALL tool using spaced repetition for foreign language vocabulary and explores whether double-blind designs can be applied in CALL research.

How does the CALL tool affect students’ long-term vocabulary retention?

Students who used the automatically generated vocabulary activities for about three minutes daily showed a threefold increase in long-term vocabulary retention.

Why are spaced repetition intervals important according to the literature review?

The review explains that recall quality and memory decay create tension between small and large intervals, suggesting items should be reviewed near the point when learners are about to forget them.

Oct 15, 2026

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