FlashCards is simply an electronic stack of index cards. But since it's a HyperCard stack (and not a paper stack), you can find or sort cards quickly and easily. FlashCards is a great study aid for students.
REQUIREMENTS
FlashCards requires HyperCard 2.x.
ENTERING DATA
The dotted lines on the electronic index card show where you can enter data. Just click on the lines and start typing. The single line at the top of the card may be used to label to cards (e.g. "Chapter 12, Biology Vocabulary").
Click on the "Front" and "Back" radio buttons (located in the lower right corner) to flip between the front and the back of the card. (You can also press the Tab key as a shortcut.)
To learn how to move through the stack of cards, to create cards, and to delete cards, see "The Floating Palette" section below.
THE FLOATING PALETTE
Home — Go to the Home stack.
Lightbulb — Click on the lightbulb button to display information about the FlashCards stack. (Same as selecting "About FlashCards…" from the FlashCards menu.)
Magnifying glass — Click on the magnifying glass button in the floating palette to find a certain card of the stack.
Arrows — Click on the arrows in the floating palette to move through the stack of cards. The leftmost arrow will take you to the first card of the stack. The left arrow will move to the previous card. The right arrow will move to the next card. The rightmost arrow will move to the last card.
New — Click on the "New" button in the floating palette to create a new card.
Delete — Click on the "Delete" button to delete the current card from the stack.
QUIZZING YOURSELF
You can start anywhere in the stack… just move to the card where you want to start quizzing yourself. (You will probably want to start with the very first card, so click on the leftmost arrow in the floating palette.)
Now quiz yourself over the first card. Try to recall what you typed on the other side. (For example, if you're memorizing Latin vocabulary and you're presented with a card that says "amicus" on the front, you'll want to remember what you typed on the back of the card, "friend".) If you don't remember, press the "Flash" button to flash the back of the card on the screen. (You can always still flip the card normally using the buttons or the Tab key.)
When you're done with the card, click a "Confidence Level" button. There are four of these buttons located beneath the index card, labeled "A1", "A2", "B", and "C". You can use any system you want, but here is the one the author uses:
A1—I knew the stuff on the card COLD!
A2—I knew the stuff on the card "pretty well".
B—I sorta knew the stuff on the card, but I wasn't really sure.
C—I didn't know the stuff on the card.
When you click on a Confidence Level button, you'll advance to the next card in the stack.
When you finish testing yourself, save the stack by using "Save" command in the FlashCards menu. Now take a short break! (It is important that you relax during the break.) If you want to test yourself again, click the "Shuffle/Sort" button (see below), select the confidence levels you want to use (see below), and begin again.
(If you start again immediately, much of the "stuff" will still be in your short-term memory. By taking a break, you will allow your brain to move the stuff you really memorized to your long-term memory, and clear the rest of your short-term memory. Now when you start again, you'll know what you really memorized because you'll be testing your long-term memory.)
OTHER FEATURES
Shuffle/Sort button • Click this button to "shuffle" the cards for a random card order and to sort the stack according to confidence levels (A1 cards, then A2 cards, and so on.) You'll probably want to use this button before you test yourself over a stack.
Reset button • Click this button to set the confidence level of each card to the same level (C). You can now test yourself over the entire "fresh" stack.
Info button • Click this button for the number of cards in each confidence level.
Show Palette button • Click this button to show the floating palette (described above). This button is grayed out if the palette is already visible.
Select confidence levels • You can selectly turn "on" or "off" confidence levels you want to use. For example, if you don't want to waste time quizzing yourself over A1 cards (stuff you already know), uncheck the "Use A1" button, located in the upper right corner of the stack.
FlashCards menu • FlashCards allows you to open, save, and print your files. Just use the FlashCards menu at the top of the screen. The commands of the menu are similar those of normal Macintosh applications (i.e. to open a file, select "Open…" from the FlashCards menu) and should be extremely easy-to-use.
FLASHCARDS HISTORY
1.0 (25 December 1993) First official version.
ABOUT FLASHCARDS
FlashCards is freeware. If you distribute FlashCards, it must be free, and you must include this file.
Even if you don't use FlashCards, please send me some mail. (I love mail!) It's not that hard, just write me a letter or send me some electronic mail. Tell me about yourself, or give me some suggestions on how to improve FlashCards. Of course, if you find FlashCards REALLY useful, I would always appreciate some money. You decide how much. (Oh, come on… you can surely "donate" a couple of bucks to a 16 year old kid!)
