Checking the effectiveness of Quizlet® as a tool for vocabulary learning

Inspired by the need to aid low-proficiency English users to increase their knowledge of vocabulary, this preliminary study measures the success of digital-flashcard users by comparing their vocabulary test scores to those of non-users in the same class. Thirty-two, low-level, first year students in Tamagawa University’s English as a Lingua Franca program were asked to use Quizlet® to prepare for tests that would recycle fill-in-the-blank contents from the flashcards available on this Web 2.0 application. On average, learners in the class who used gap-fill flashcards with the application scored higher on these tests, and moderately higher on tests with new contents for the same vocabulary. The need for more homogeneous experimentation is acknowledged. In addition, the need for more extrinsic motivation to encourage spaced repetition is considered as means for improving Quizlet-user success on tests of extrapolated knowledge.