Study tool with "active" learning?

[daxia33]

Hi everyone!

I am looking for some kind of flashcard software (pref. freeware), but not just any kind. I want to find one where you dont just look at a card, then press right or wrong, but one where you actually have to type in an answer. There is one program that I have used before called ZDT, but sadly it's unstable and very limited in its functions, and no updates in years (probably abandoned). I have been looking like crazy for this kind of software, and I cant understand why other flashcard programs like anki etc dont add this very simple function, which will enhance learning so much.

Questions could be type pinyin, and you would see a character and write the correct pinyin and tone. Or it could show the translation and you would have to write the pinyin etc. This way you could actually be active while learning, and dont just sit there dumbly watching the screen hoping that something will stick.

Anyone who has any advice? Thank you!

[valikor]

It's possible with Anki.

When you're adding items to your deck, click the Wrench icon (this takes you to Deck Properties)

Choose the model you are using (probably Basic, or Mandarin) and click "Edit"

Click the "Card Templates" tab at the top.

In "options", it will probably say "Don't ask me to type in the answer". Change this, probably to "compare with back field"

Whenever answering cards that use this model (the model you just modified), you will be asked to type in the answer. If your answer matches the back of the card (you choose the format), it counts as correct.

Personally, I think you could just use a pen and paper, and be sure to say the words out-loud as you study them. This would make it active. But, whatever you like...

Good luck! If you can't get it to work, I can post a sample deck to show you.

David

(EDIT) PS - Also, consider making a NEW deck model called "MandarinActive" or something like that. This way it will be easier later down the road. When you add new content, you can decide if you want to actively learn or just passively learn something.)

Edited December 8, 2010 at 07:30 AM by valikor

[daxia33]

Thank you so much!!! It works like a charm! I have been looking for a program like this for ages, and all this time it has been right infront off me. May I ask you 2 other things about Anki? 1. How do you turn the sound off? And 2. Are there any way make the program automatically "judge" if you are right or wrong, without having to press easy/hard/etc?

Thank you in advance for the great help!

[renzhe]

The self-assessment is the central feature of programs like Anki. This is what it uses to tune the time intervals between cards and drastically reduce the number of cards you have to review per day.

I don't know if it's possible to turn this feature off, but it would remove Anki's strongest feature.

[JenniferW]

I use anki in a low-tec way for learning to write Chinese characters. I have a deck of the characters I have to learn, plus pencil and paper. The prompt is the Chinese in pinyin, together with the English translation. I write the character on a piece of paper, and compare what I've written to the answer. This works! I started to use it about a year ago, to learn a set of characters for one HSK exam, and am now using it for the next level.

Completely separate to that deck, I have a deck covering vocabulary, which tests me for recognition of Chinese words (as characters), and another deck which combines reading skill development - presenting me with one or two sentences in characters at a time. So, I'm using anki in 3 different ways, and I think it works really well for all of them. Shows the basic structure and system is pretty robust, I think.

[simonlaing]

Hey there,

There is also the website called http://quizlet.com (don't put the wwww.) which has several type in the answer modes, one is space race with the english (or chinese) definitions going across and you have to type in the chinese quickly, you get 3 lives, though it is hard on computers with small screens.

Do a search for HSK,

For some of the sets you should click the ignore the words inside the ()s as these are the pinyin. Others a have no pinyin.

or use my sets by searching for Nanjingsimon

and simonewings and then tring out the sets. Some I made for my english classes and then added the chinese as well. They are somewhat advanced.

There are lots of sets that go with books like new practical reader as well.

I enjoyed these alot

Anki is good too. But I thought it had more preparation inputting than Quizlet.com

have fun,

Simon back in Nanjing and studying again.

[parmarossa]

One other tool that you might want to look at, if you want something different from Anki, is Lingt. Lingt is a pretty "active" learning tool; after it tests you on flashcards (multiple choice under time limit), you then need to write the pinyin for one of the selected words. They treat learning as a game, and do it quite well. Hope this is helpful.

[Glenn]

I just gave Lingt a go. Interesting. One thing that made me laugh out loud was the picture for 要: the sign at 銀閣寺 in 京都 that says 銀閣寺の大切な苔 (I'm pretty sure), which means "moss important to Ginkakuji (The Silver Pavilion)". The moss there is a big deal.

Anyway, I didn't know what any of the sets there was, so I went with the Lingt level 1, and man is it basic. It seems you have to wait a day before doing more than what it gives you, unless you cram, but I'm not sure how it counts cramming. The different angles that it attacks the vocabulary with is nice, though, for sure. It gives you pictures and meanings in English and you have to select the Chinese, it gives you pictures and the Chinese and you have to select the meaning in English, and it gives you a picture and the meaning in English and you have to type the pinyin for the Chinese word, so you cover three facets of each item. That's a great idea.

Incidentally, I thought it'd have some link to LinqQ, but it's completely unrelated.