Digital flashcards for academic vocabulary acquisitions with students with learning difficulties

Abstract

Students today are native to technology and a large portion of their academic work is completed online. Secondary-level students with learning difficulties (LDs) struggle with the academic curriculum and vocabulary. The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of a digital flashcard (DF) intervention, Quizlet, to paper flashcards (PF) as a method for teaching new academic vocabulary to students with LDs. Research conducted on comparing flashcard types is limited and studies including adolescents with LD is scarce. The participants of the study were a small group of 7th-grade students with learning difficulties, who are currently enrolled in the learning center of a secondary school. Prior to beginning the intervention, students were asked to fill out a questionnaire indicating flashcard use and perspectives on their usefulness. Data in PF and DF conditions on vocabulary acquisition were collected using pretests and posttests to measure gains in receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge. The results indicated a significant difference when students studied the digital flashcards, suggesting this may be an effective tool for secondary-level students with LDs for learning academic vocabulary. However, differences between types of vocabulary knowledge in each condition were not found.