StudyStack

StudyStack is an online flash card creator and activity-based study tool that relies on user-created content. While students can access study sets and games on the site or the app, they'll need their own accounts to create sets and save their activity stats. Sign-up requires a username, password, email, and verification, and beginning tutorials and a FAQ section address what users need to know to get started. A paid upgrade allows teachers to share ad-free sets with their students.

Students can study sets as flash cards or choose from activities such as crosswords, fill-ins, quizzes, hangman, and other games. Creating study sets from scratch can take some time, but the import text feature can greatly cut down on effort up front if users have a starting document. Activities vary in terms of feedback, with some using timers, others giving scores, and others giving positive feedback for completion. Although only about half of the website's activities are available on the app, students can see which activities they've successfully completed via green dots (website) or pie pieces (app) that appear next to each activity. Users can choose to make sets public or private and can also allow others to edit them, which, although open to the public, allows for limited student collaboration.

Some students will appreciate the chance to engage in the games and activities on StudyStack, while others will welcome simply studying via the flash card feature. While memorization is not known for its promotion of critical-thinking or problem-solving skills, this tool provides some opportunities to sharpen those skills through its puzzles, games, and matching features. Plus, if students have to study terms or practice facts, it never hurts to try to make a game of it, and StudyStack builds the games right in. This can be effective for struggling or reluctant learners, especially if teachers use their learning management system (LMS) to assign different stacks based on students' needs. 

StudyStack boasts a collection of millions of flash cards, but it can be tough to find useful, grade level-appropriate sets to use. Teachers might be better off having students create their own sets or embedding teacher-created sets into their webpages or LMS. While the tool could use more effective collaborative features and audio support, the ease with which users can create sets and complete activities makes this tool a fine complement to thoughtfully designed lessons.