Seven years of spaced repetition software in the classroom

Abstract

This article reports on the author’s multi-year experience using spaced repetition software (SRS) with students in an American high school English classroom. The initial setup involved whole-class, teacher-led SRS study sessions, relying on a modified version of the Anki SRS. As the years passed, this method evolved from a focus on reviewing all potentially relevant content to a more limited focus on word fragments that would afford high automaticity. Moreover, direct teacher involvement shifted to more of a supervisory role, with students conducting their own review sessions using laptops or smartphones. Positive outcomes were noted, including increased student engagement, improved efficiency, and reduced teacher workload. However, the author found that gains were modest, especially with undermotivated students, and that SRS performance did not translate into better performance on external tests. Furthermore, there was evidence that students’ mental models became dominated by item-specific associations rather than more conceptual, generalizable knowledge. The author argues that, in light of these findings, teachers should use SRS strategically, with a clear understanding of its potential benefits and limitations – AI-generated abstract.