StudyMate for Student Success
StudyMate is a study tool within Canvas for students or instructors to create flashcards, matching games, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and quizzes. StudyMate active learning opportunities support the need to practice and can improve retention. Students are encouraged to create projects from course materials or review instructor-provided content during independent learning and exam preparation.
Implementation Across Disciplines
StudyMate is relevant for reinforcing foundational knowledge, terminology, and concepts in all disciplines. It allows students to engage with course material in multiple formats, such as games, self-tests, and other interactive study modes. Examples of StudyMate uses in various academic areas:
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Anatomy & Physiology: Create flashcards to review muscle groups, organ systems, and key terminology. Example Prompt: "List the cranial nerves and their primary functions."
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Business: Review finance and accounting terms with flashcards, matching, or quizzes. Example Prompt: "Match the financial term to its definition: ROI, Net Income, Gross Margin."
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Criminal Justice: Reinforce terminology and case law with flashcards or matching activities. Example Prompt: "Match each legal term to its definition: mens rea, habeas corpus, due process."
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Foreign Language: Reinforce vocabulary and basic grammar using interactive flashcards and matching activities. Example Prompt: "Match the Spanish word to its English meaning: 'gato' – cat, 'casa' – house, 'libro' – book."
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Nursing: Practice NCLEX-style questions using quiz activities focused on diagnostics, symptoms, and medication effects. Example Prompt: "Which of the following symptoms is associated with hypokalemia?"
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Psychology: Reinforce major theories and definitions with matching or flashcard activities. Example Prompt: "Match the theorist to their contribution: Erikson – Psychosocial Development."
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Sociology: Use fill-in-the-blank or flashcard activities to prepare for exams and reinforce key concepts. Example Prompt: "_____ is the process by which individuals internalize the values of a society."
What the Research Says
Integrating StudyMate with evidence-based teaching strategies supports student learning by promoting active engagement with course material. Engaging students in research-backed study methods, such as self-quizzing, flashcards, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and matching games, can significantly enhance learning outcomes.
- Implementing high-impact study strategies could lead to improved academic performance and increased retention. Research observed significantly higher course grades for students who reported spacing their studying, with usage of these strategies increasing by the end of the semester (Vemu, Denaro, Sato, & Williams, 2022)
- Meaningful practice opportunities, such as practice exams, formative homework, and class activities—combined with timely feedback- are essential for helping students engage with learning objectives and improve academic performance (Sebesta & Bray Speth, 2023).
- Digital flashcards offer immediate feedback and allow students to focus on material they need to master (Nguyen, 2022).
- Flashcard strategies enable students to achieve enhanced comprehension and application through self-directed learning, resulting in significantly improved academic performance (Senzaki et al., 2017).