EFFECT OF DIGITAL FLASHCARD ON LOW FREQUENCY VOCABULARY RETENTION BY GRADUATE STUDENTS
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Abstract
Advance learners of English often put too much effort and energy in learning low-frequency vocabulary most of which they forget and cannot retrieve after a certain period of time. Exposure to multimedia can reduce learning time and cognitive load (Lin & Yu, 2016), but the existing literature is inconclusive in describing the effect of multimedia in the retrieval of low-frequency vocabulary. This study explores the impact of mobile applications on learning, and the retention of low-frequency vocabulary by non-native speakers of English. Research shows that exposure to vocabulary through multimedia creates a mental connection between the verbal and visual information which facilitates better learning outcome (Mayer & Moreno, 2005; Mayer, 2014). The objective of this paper is to identify the difference of learning rate of low-frequency vocabulary between the paper flash card and Mobile Assisted Vocabulary Learning (MAVL) users. In addition, it measures the difference of retention rate of the learnt vocabulary between the paper flashcard and digital flashcard users. The study was conducted on 30 graduate students (divided into two groups: control and experimental). Students in the control group used paper flashcard, whereas students in the experimental group used the digital flashcard through Magoosh Vocabulary Builder- an MAVL application. The collected data of several tests were analyzed using R programming. Findings suggest that mobile application or digital flashcard can enhance both vocabulary learning and retention rate among graduate students. The findings imply that usage of MAVL application can smoothen the process of vocabulary learning with better retention rate, and multimedia models can track the progress of the learner in real-time and reduce cognitive load.
