An important part of studying something is review and testing [citation needed]. Ok, well at least that’s what I find when I am trying to learn something new. I was lucky enough to get some free copies of software that are meant to aid with studying: iFlash and Cram. I thought I’d post a quick review of using both of the applications – with a focus towards studying Mandarin.
iFlash is a Flash card program. I’ve been using iFlash for quite a while. I’ve had a long time with it, and it is by far my favorite flash card program of all time ever (sorry to steal some Apple marketing there).
My two favorite features of iFlash are the multi sided flash cards, and the iPhone / iPod syncing ability.
iFlash can export to any iPod with disk access turned on, or it can sync with the free iFlash iPhone / iPod Touch app.
The older iPod syncing format is less than stellar, but the newer iPhone / iPod Touch is fantastic. It is difficult to see, but here is a picture of what the flash cards look like on an iPod nano. It basically looks like one large text file – it will do in a pinch.
However, on the iPhone / iPod Touch it is perfect for studying Chinese. This is what I do most days on the train ride to work:
(That video was filmed with the iPod nano by the way)
The multi side cards are a perfect fit when studying Mandarin / Chinese. When I am studying Mandarin there are at least 3 things I need to know: the simplified characters, the hanyu pinyin, and the meaning. If you are a serious learner, you can have need for 4 or 5 sides if you add in traditional characters and tongyong pinyin. iFlash delivers here by letting you have as many sides as you want:
Additionally, cards can have sounds or pictures on them (I have not tried this so I don’t know if they sync with the iPhone / iPod Touch)
And the last feature of iFlash that I like is the sharing of decks. iFlash has a built in system to share your decks and download other peoples decks. It saves hours of typing and can get you studying a subject in seconds.
iFlash is, in my opinion, priced perfectly. It is priced at USD$14.95 and the iPhone / iPod Touch reader is free of charge (it’s read only and you need to have the desktop application). It is a fair price for a stable, easy to use, well done application.
At first glance, I thought Cram and iFlash were going to be competitors, and this was going to be an iFlash vs Cram post. However, Cram is filling a different niche than iFlash – Cram helps you prepare for tests.
Cram has the ability to do flash card like studying. While it is limited to only two sides, two sides in general is all most subjects require. This is what the feature looks like while studying:
Additionally, you can attach sound files and images to the cards.
In my opinion, where Cram’s major benefit comes in is with practice tests. Again, when it comes to studying Mandarin it falls down a bit, but for the majority of subjects it seems very useful. For example in the following shot you’ll see a question and choices. Since the question is only one syllable the correct answer can only be B or C.
The possible answers appear to be chosen from all the other correct answers at random, and in the case of Chinese vocabulary that doesn’t quite work. However, it works very well for things like geography, science, or history. For example:
Cram also has access to two deck sharing services – and there are tons of decks. An amazing number of subjects from the SAT to Astronomy to Physics to Social Studies. The only thing I couldn’t find was zoology which would have ended that last sentence nicely.
Cram also gives you a score at the end of your test, and tracks your progress over time.
You can also link Cram with your twitter account to post your test scores. I thought that was an interesting touch that would be fun to use in study groups.
Like iFlash, Cram has an iPhone / iPod Touch application. However it is currently USD$4.99 and I didn’t get free access to that. Judging by the screenshots on the cram website it looks to be a useful mobile application though. On top of the iPhone app, Cram also supports the Blackberry.
For me, not being in school, I don’t find Cram as useful as I see it’s potential. If you are in school and you take a lot of multiple choice tests, or are studying for the SATs or something similar, Cram might be just what you are after. If I had Cram in biology, I might have done quite a bit better than I did.
As a consumer, the only other thing about Cram is I personally think the price is a bit high. It is currently USD$29.99, and to get the iPhone app is another USD$4.99. Price is in the eye of the beholder though, so if you are cramming for the SATs and need something to test yourself with, that might be a reasonable price to you.
(As a developer, I think Cram needs a better icon set, and a bit of UI polish; however functionally it is right on and absolutely usable.)