Student Use and Perceptions of a Human Structure Anki Flashcard Deck

Abstract

Introduction: Anki is a free, open-source flashcard software program designed to incorporate spaced repetition that has become a popular study tool among medical students.1,2 Medical schools rarely provide students with an Anki deck correlated with their curriculum, and students instead utilize self-made or publicly available pre-made decks.

Study Objectives: Our study aimed to analyze the use and perceptions of a free Anki deck provided to students by the Human Structure course administration.

Methods: Medical students were granted access to a Human Structure-specific Anki deck through the course website. Surveys were distributed following completion of the Human Structure course to assess students’ use and perception of the Anki deck. Survey questions addressed frequency and duration of use, barriers to usage, and deck organization, as well as overall satisfaction.

Results: Survey respondents included 108 participants, 29% of the Class of 2029. Of those who responded, 83% utilized the provided Anki deck with an average daily usage of 86 minutes. The most common reported barriers to using the Anki deck included “overwhelmed by the number of cards” (65.7%, N=71), “information overload” (40.0%, N=41), and “not enough time” (37.0%, N=40). The majority of respondents found the Anki deck to be “somewhat organized” (45.4%, N=49) or “extremely organized” (18.5%, N=20). The overall satisfaction rating on a scale of zero to 100 was 73.

Conclusions: Access to course-specific Anki decks may be a useful tool for students during preclinical medical education.