Spaced Repetition & StudyMate Flashcards in Online Math Education

National Context

Online education is expanding rapidly; enrollment continues to rise even after COVID-19. Yet online courses show 6%6\%–20%20\% higher dropout and lower success rates than face-to-face courses, largely because students must manage time, motivation, and learning without in-person support.

Mathematics & Numeracy Gap

• Only 37%37\% of U.S. high-school seniors are college-ready in math.
• Limited numeracy hinders college persistence and is critical in health-care fields where measurement errors threaten patient safety.

Local Setting

Sinclair Community College (Dayton, Ohio):
• Spring 2019 overall enrollment =18,525=18{,}525; 38%38\% took at least one online course.
• Course of focus: MAT 1130 (Mathematics in the Health Sciences). Online sections showed a 13%13\% failure rate vs higher pass rates in face-to-face sections.
• Key difference: in-class partner activities helped face-to-face students memorize measurement conversion standards; online students lacked such support.

Problem Statement

Online MAT 1130 students struggle to memorize measurement conversion standards, reducing test scores, TEAS readiness, and course completion.

Purpose of Study

Evaluate whether incremental, spaced repetition with StudyMate electronic flashcards improves online students’ memorization of measurement conversion standards and explore student perceptions of this tool.

Research Questions

  1. To what extent does spaced repetition via StudyMate flashcards affect online students’ memorization of measurement conversion standards?

  2. What are students’ perceptions of using StudyMate flashcards for this purpose?

Method Overview

• Design: Convergent parallel mixed-methods action research.
• Participants: N=18N=18 students in an online MAT 1130 section.
• Intervention: Incremental, spaced StudyMate flashcard sets released on a schedule; practice opportunities embedded across the term.
• Data:
– Quantitative: Pre-/post-Measurement Conversion Standards Assessment (MCSA); Student Perception Survey.
– Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews.
• Analysis: Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test for MCSA scores; Cronbach’s α for instrument reliability; pattern and thematic coding for interviews; integration of data sets for comprehensive findings.

Key Findings

• Significant improvement: post-test mean scores increased and standard deviation decreased, indicating higher achievement and more consistent performance.
• Student attitudes: participants reported positive perceptions, citing convenience, engagement, and effectiveness; several factors (e.g., regular reminders, manageable item sets) enhanced efficiency.
• Conclusion: Incremental, spaced electronic flashcards can effectively support memorization of measurement conversions in online math courses.

Implications

• Online math and health-science courses can adopt spaced-repetition flashcards to bolster numeracy without in-person activities.
• Institutions should integrate structured memory tools to reduce cognitive load and improve retention.

Limitations

• Small sample (N=18N=18) and single-course context limit generalizability.
• Self-reported usage data; uncontrolled external study aids.

Core Takeaway

Structured, incremental spaced repetition with StudyMate flashcards measurably enhances online students’ mastery of essential measurement conversions and fosters positive learning attitudes, narrowing the achievement gap with face-to-face peers.