Tech tools are great for retrieval practice... but wait, there's more!

Engaging and authentic classes? Retrieval makes a big difference.

This week, we feature tech tools and expertise from Bonni Stachowiak, Host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast. Even if you're in K-12, you need to check out her interviews, blog, and tech recommendations immediately. Full of insights, practical tips, and humor from an expert teacher.

P.S. Check out our newest strategies, too: Connection Notebooks and Metacognition Line Ups!

Using Quizlet for Engaging Retrieval & Metacognition

One of the main tools Bonni Stachowiak, Director of the Institute for Faculty Development at Vanguard University of Southern California, Professor, and Host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, uses in her classroom to facilitate retrieval practice is Quizlet. Here are her tips on how to turn Quizlet from a simple tech tool into a powerful teaching and learning tool:

"At its core, Quizlet is a flashcards app. It's simple to get started and build a study set in a matter of seconds. Yet, the value of those simple flashcards can be extended in a number of ways. As learners, we can use any one of the six powerful study modes. I’m particularly drawn to what they call Quizlet Learn, because it tracks my progress and shows me cards I have struggled with more often than ones I have mastered. 

As a teacher, I enjoy making use of their flashcard game: Quizlet Live. On a Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episode, a student of mine, Sierra Smith, shared her experience engaging with her fellow students when playing Quizlet Live. She shared how authentic it was to engage with other students in the class without it being a forced and awkward conversation. Not only did the experience help her feel more comfortable talking with others in the class after playing, but they even took their bonding outside the classroom and into other classes."

Research and strategies for retrieval practice, metacognition, and more have been featured on Teaching in Higher Ed, including episodes with James Lang, Pooja Agarwal, and Robert Bjork. Click below and listen!


Bonni Stachowiak, Ed.D.

Director of the Institute for Faculty Development, Vanguard University

Professor Bonni Stachowiak has the privilege of speaking with exceptional educators on a weekly basis, as the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast.

Since 2014, her podcast has provided a space to explore the art and science of being more effective at facilitating learning. Teaching in Higher Ed also explores how to improve faculty productivity, so we have more peace in our lives and we can be even more present for our students. 

Bonni has been teaching in-person, blended, and online courses throughout her entire career in higher education, and she has a forthcoming book, The Productive Online Professor.

Bonni also launched a new monthly advice column with EdSurge; submit your questions and receive valuable insights on the art and science of teaching!