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Can AI Make Really High-Quality Flashcards?

make GOOD flashcards with this trick

Author

Marco Yau
March 13, 2024

In partnership with

Good morning! When you are using PDF2ANKI, you might have encountered scenarios where the cards generated are great, but not 100% perfect. With advancements in artificial intelligence reaching new heights, we're peering into a future where AI making personalised flashcards are not just a possibility but a reality.

🤔 Can AI Make REALLY High-Quality Flashcards For You?

The journey to developing a tool that harnesses the power of AI to create effective study aids has been both challenging and exciting.

From our experience, our answer is "Yes... and no." 

From Humble Beginnings

In the early stages of PDF2ANKI, our AI was like a first year medical student - eager but not experienced. The quality of the flashcards were mixed. Without sufficient training and nuanced prompt engineering, the AI sometimes created flashcards that were completely off.

I still remember it generated cards asking for the name of the lecturer — a question with little educational value for you all. (it was trying its best)

The Power of Prompt Engineering

As we nurtured the AI, feeding it better prompts, more relevant information, and feedback from our users, the quality of flashcard creation began to transform. Through trial, error, and the art of prompt engineering — where we teach the AI how to interpret and process information more effectively — the flashcards became more targeted and useful. By refining our prompts, we guided our AI to focus on the relevant and discard the trivial.

👨‍💻 How You Can Use Prompt Engineering to Make Really High-Quality Cards 💯

In PDF2ANKI v3.0, we have introduced a brand new function which allows you to refine and regenerate the flashcards generated by typing in a prompt. We are really glad that a lot of you like this new change!

Here’s more - other than the usual prompts like “be more concise” or “more cards about ___”, there is a lot more that you can do with this. Here is what we would do for our studies:

1. Focusing on Clinical Relevance

Initial AI-generated flashcard:

  • Q: What are the layers of the heart wall?

  • A: The layers of the heart wall include the endocardium, myocardium, and epicardium.

User-written prompt for refinement:

Craft a flashcard that connects the layers of the heart wall to potential heart diseases for clinical application. Highlight how abnormalities in each layer can manifest in different cardiac conditions.

Refined AI-generated flashcard:

  • Q: How do abnormalities in the layers of the heart wall relate to different heart diseases?

  • A:

    • Endocardium: Damage or inflammation can lead to endocarditis, often presenting with fever and heart murmurs.

    • Myocardium: Abnormal thickening or weakening can result in cardiomyopathies, which may cause heart failure symptoms or arrhythmias.

    • Epicardium: Inflammation of this layer, known as pericarditis, can cause sharp chest pain and fluid buildup leading to tamponade.

2. Aligning with Current Study Topics

Initial AI-generated flashcard:

  • Q: What is the function of the liver?

  • A: The liver's function includes detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of chemicals necessary for digestion.

User-written prompt for refinement:

I'm currently studying the metabolic functions of the liver. Can you create a flashcard that details the role of the liver in metabolism, specifically in glucose regulation and urea cycle?

Refined AI-generated flashcard:

  • Q: What roles does the liver play in glucose regulation and the urea cycle as part of its metabolic functions?

  • A: The liver regulates glucose levels by glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis and is crucial in the urea cycle by converting ammonia to urea, which is then excreted in urine.

Knowing more about prompt engineering is helpful not only when making flashcards on PDF2ANKI, but whenever you use AI. AI is revolutionising everything in the world now, doesn’t matter if you are a medical student, a law student or an architect student, AI will completely change your work environment in the next 5 years. 

❝

AI is the next big thing in 10 years, how to use it better?

My Favorite Newsletter: Stay ahead on the business of AI 

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⭐ What is Anki’s Spaced Repetition and Why Medical Students Love It

Hey friends! We've been chatting with a bunch of you lately and guess what? We're totally blown away by how many of you hadn't even heard of Anki or flashcard studying before bumping into PDF2ANKI. So this is for you - who are not very familiar with how Anki works! Let's talk about why Anki and spaced repetition are the study buddies you never knew you needed.

What is Spaced Repetition?

Spaced repetition harnesses the psychological spacing effect, a concept discovered by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in the 1880s. His seminal research into memory revealed the "forgetting curve," a term that describes how information fades from our memory over time. Ebbinghaus found that this decline in recall could be slowed, and even reversed, by systematically reviewing material at increasing intervals.

Decades of research have fine-tuned this method, validating its effectiveness. Spaced repetition with Anki not only aligns with the forgetting curve but actively works against it, adjusting to your learning pace to maximize memory retention. It's a scientifically grounded approach that transforms how we learn, making Anki a powerful ally for anyone tackling the vast knowledge base required in medical school.

Why Medical Students Love Anki

Medical education is notorious for the vast amount of information students must memorise. From the Krebs cycle to the complexities of human anatomy, the volume can be overwhelming. This is where Anki shines:

  1. Efficient Learning: Anki's spaced repetition system makes it possible to cover more material in less time, crucial for medical students with heavy workloads.

  2. Customization: Students can create their own flashcards, tailored to their curriculum, focus areas, and preferred level of detail.

  3. Flexibility: Anki can be used across devices, allowing for study sessions anywhere, whether it's during a commute or between classes. (I love doing Anki on my way to school)

  4. Active Recall: By testing knowledge actively rather than passively re-reading notes, students strengthen their memory and understanding of the material.

  5. Evidence-Based: Spaced repetition is supported by research to improve long-term retention of information, a must-have for the medical field where recall is critical.

Wrap-Up

Spaced repetition with Anki offers a powerful method for medical students to conquer their curriculums and retain knowledge long term. As more students discover the benefits of Anki through tools like PDF2ANKI, they're able to unlock their full learning potential, paving the way for a more confident and competent future in the medical field.

📣 PDF2ANKI Makes the News

Exciting news for all our fellow learners and tech enthusiasts out there – we've been featured on the Now Financial Channel! PDF2ANKI simplify the study process by transforming uploaded notes or textbook files into an interactive learning experience. With just a few clicks, users can create customized flashcards and a tailored question bank, streamlining their revision and learning journey.

We envision a transformed educational landscape where technology enhances the learning ecosystem. Moreover, professors from University of Hong Kong involved in the app's development believe that AI technology has the potential to lighten the load of medical students overwhelmed by the vast amount of knowledge they must acquire. Looking ahead, there's a shared ambition to further integrate technology into the curriculum, fostering an environment where students are nurtured with the best tools science and innovation have to offer.

🍻Friends And Benefits

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our "Refer a Friend" program at PDF2ANKI!

It's simple: for every friend who successfully subscribed for PDF2ANKI using your unique referral link, you'll earn a 30% commission kickback. What's even better? This isn't just a one-time reward. You'll continue to receive a 30% kickback for as long as they remain subscribed to PDF2ANKI.