ANKI RESEARCH

This video was created to showcase how Anki can be used as an effective studying tool.

When I transferred from Valencia College to UCF, I felt prepared to take any class that came my way. I ambitiously planned to finish my degree within a year after transferring. I quickly realized that I didn't have an efficient study strategy. Combined with the large classes, frequent assignments, and life stressors, I started scoring 70s, 60s, and even 50s on my exams. In my 3rd semester after transferring (in 2017), I realized that my lack of preparation and study techniques set me up for failure, which ultimately led me to withdraw from school.

What was initially meant to be a one-semester break turned into two years, during which I gained invaluable healthcare experiences. Although I thoroughly enjoyed working and interacting with people at my daily job, I frequently found myself wishing to return to school to keep seeking the invaluable knowledge I would need to become a medical professional.
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Fortunately, in 2019 I re-enrolled as a student and began taking classes. I knew I needed a more robust plan of action to succeed in these courses, especially after two years of not being in a traditional classroom setting. After reading more about efficient study techniques for science courses, I came across a flashcard software called Anki. I read anecdotal feedback from medical students claiming that they used this program as their main studying tool. Since previous studying methods proved futile for me, I decided to download Anki. Since then, this program has helped me learn information better, faster, and easier; not only do I remember concepts more efficiently, but I also understand them much better and more in-depth than before. After finding out about this software, I showed it to my friends and classmates, knowing that it may transform their academic life as much as it did for me.

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During the summer semester of 2021, I showed my Histology professor (Dr. Bradshaw) how I study with Anki. She asked if I was interested in creating a scientific study with it, with the primary goal of answering if Anki can effectively increase exam scores and reduce testing anxiety in Histology classes. We decided to introduce Anki into the class curriculum for the Histology students in the Fall 2021 semester, tracking student performance in the class, exam anxiety levels, and their usage of the program. Several students have expressed their gratitude for introducing them to Anki, and some have reported that they've begun using it for their other classes.
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At the end of the semester, exam averages increased by approximately 7% compared to previous semesters. Survey data showed that students reported feeling less anxious before taking tests if they used Anki to prepare. I presented the findings of this study at the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) in February 2022 and the Student Scholar Symposium at UCF in March 2022.