The Metronome of Memory: Spaced Flip-Card Practice for Indonesian EFL Learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70294/jimu.v3i03.1187Kata Kunci:
Vocabulary, Retrieval practice, Spaced repetition, Flashcards, EFLAbstrak
This paper examines whether flip cards paper or digital meaningfully improve English vocabulary learning for Indonesian students when implemented as disciplined, spaced retrieval. Building on cognitive psychology and L2 vocabulary research, we synthesise evidence that practice testing and distributed practice yield stronger long-term retention than re-study or massed drills. We then review Indonesia-based classroom studies and translate convergent findings into a feasible school routine: three short sessions weekly, expanding intervals (1–3–7–14 days), and prompts that move from recognition to productive recall through collocation and word-family cues. Methodologically, we outline a quasi-experimental protocol for secondary schools with three conditions (digital SRS, paper with printed schedules, business-as-usual), pretest/post-test/delayed post-test, and ANCOVA with cluster-robust errors. The primary outcome is durable receptive and productive vocabulary; secondary outcomes include adherence and learner attitudes. Our synthesis indicates that flip cards help only insofar as they operationalise retrieval and spacing; the medium is secondary to schedule fidelity. For Indonesia, hybrid deployment (printable decks plus mobile SRS where available) addresses equity, workload, and connectivity. We conclude with implementation guardrails tight decks, routine low-stakes quizzes, and transfer tasks so that cards become metronomes: steady rhythms that carry words from fleeting exposure into usable command. Implications for curriculum alignment and teacher training are noted.
Unduhan
Referensi
AERA. (2011). Code of ethics. American Educational Research Association.
Altiner, C. (2019). Perceptions of students towards the use of Quizlet for learning vocabulary. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 6(1), 31–45.
Amrullah, A. Z. (2022). Quizlet in Indonesian remote EFL classes: Affordances and limits. ELLITE Journal of English Language, Literature, and Teaching, 7(1), 51–64.
APJII (Asosiasi Penyelenggara Jasa Internet Indonesia). (2024). Laporan survei penetrasi & perilaku internet Indonesia 2024. APJII.
Ashcroft, R. J., Cvitkovic, R., & Praver, M. (2018). Digital flashcard L2 vocabulary learning out-performs traditional flashcards at lower proficiency levels: A mixed-methods study. EUROCALL Review, 26(2), 14–24.
Bjork, R. A. (1994). Memory and metamemory considerations in the training of human beings. In J. Metcalfe & A. P. Shimamura (Eds.), Metacognition: Knowing about knowing (pp. 185–205). MIT Press.
Boroughani, T., Damavandi, A. J., & Fahim, M. (2023). Mobile-assisted academic vocabulary learning with digital flashcards: Effects on learning and self-regulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1112429.
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380.
Cepeda, N. J., Vul, E., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2008). Spacing effects in learning: A temporal ridgeline of optimal retention. Psychological Science, 19(11), 1095–1102.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum.
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research(4th ed.). Pearson.
Dizon, G., & Tang, D. (2017). Comparing the efficacy of digital flashcards versus paper flashcards in L2 vocabulary acquisition. The EUROCALL Review, 25(1), 3–15.
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58.
Durrant, P., & Schmitt, N. (2010). Adult learners’ retention of collocations from exposure. Second Language Research, 26(2), 163–188.
Field, A. (2016). ANCOVA: Notes for students [Unpublished teaching notes].
Hanson, A. E. S., & Brown, H. (2020). Enhancing L2 learning through a mobile-assisted spaced-repetition application. Computers & Education, 153, 103906. (Preprint version cited.)
Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval practice produces more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping. Science, 331(6015), 772–775.
Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L., III. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science, 319(5865), 966–968.
Khoerunnisa, H. F., Asadel, Y., & Hidayat, E. N. (2024). Improving students’ English vocabulary using flashcards: A quasi-experimental study. Papanda Journal of English Education and Learning (PJEEL), 5(4), 6307–6312.
Kornell, N. (2009). Optimising learning using flashcards: Spacing is more effective than cramming. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23(9), 1297–1317.
Laufer, B., & Nation, P. (1999). A vocabulary-size test of controlled productive ability. Language Testing, 16(1), 33–51.
Nakata, T. (2011). Computer-assisted second language vocabulary learning in a paired-associate paradigm: A critical investigation of flashcard software. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24(1), 17–38.
Nakata, T. (2013). Effects of spacing and testing on L2 vocabulary learning (Doctoral dissertation). [Institutional repository].
Nakata, T. (2020). Learning words with flash cards and word cards. In S. Webb (Ed.), The Routledge handbook of vocabulary studies (pp. 247–263). Routledge.
Nation, I. S. P. (2007). The four strands. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1(1), 2–13.
Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Nation, I. S. P., & Beglar, D. (2007). A vocabulary size test. The Language Teacher, 31(7), 9–13.
Novasyari, R. (2024). Enhancing English vocabulary mastery through flashcards: Grade 5 SDN 05 Palembang. Journal of Education Research, 5(4), 6307–6312.
Putri, F. A. K., et al. (2023). Teaching English using flashcards to improve elementary learners’ vocabulary. Focus on Teaching and Learning, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (Eds.). (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge University Press.
Rihatmi, R. (2025). English learning outcomes in the Merdeka Curriculum: Phases A–F and CEFR alignment. Al-Ishlah: Jurnal Pendidikan.
Roediger, H. L., III, & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(1), 20–27.
Roediger, H. L., III, & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255.
Schmitt, N. (2000). Vocabulary in language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Schmitt, N., Schmitt, D., & Clapham, C. (2001). Developing and exploring the behaviour of two new versions of the Vocabulary Levels Test. Language Testing, 18(1), 55–88.
Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.
Tavakol, M., & Dennick, R. (2011). Making sense of Cronbach’s alpha. International Journal of Medical Education, 2, 53–55.
Teymouri, R. (2024). Recent developments in mobile-assisted vocabulary learning: A mini-review focusing on digital flashcards. Frontiers in Education, 9, 1496578.
Wahyuni, S., & Yulaida, H. (2014). Flashcards as a means to improve EFL learners’ vocabulary mastery (Classroom Action Research, JHS Kediri). Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies (JEELS), 1(2), 175–194.
Webb, S., & Nation, P. (2017). How vocabulary is learned. Oxford University Press.
Wilkins, D. A. (1972). Linguistics in language teaching. Edward Arnold.
Xodabande, I., & Atai, M. R. (2023). Mobile-assisted focus on forms in EAP: Digital flashcards and academic vocabulary. Heliyon, 9(2), e13753.
Zarrati, Z., et al. (2024). Learning academic vocabulary with digital flashcards: Mobile vs paper. Journal of English for Academic Purposes.
Özdemir, O., et al. (2024). Quantifying cognitive and affective impacts of Quizlet on L2 vocabulary: A meta-analytic synthesis. [Preprint].






