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Create Student Practice
Create Student Practice

Build student practice sets of flash cards and share them with your students!

Neta Raz Studnitski avatar
Written by Neta Raz Studnitski
Updated over a week ago

What is Student Practice?

Student Practice is a feature that enables students and teachers to create practice flashcards for any subject of their choice and use them to study at their own pace.

This feature is under constant development and you can expect to see improvement and updates to it released often!

Create New Student Practice

There are two ways to initiate the creation of a new student practice set within Formative:

From the "Formatives" tab

  1. Click on "Formatives" from the left side menu

  2. Click on "Add +" at the top right corner

  3. Name your practice set

From the "Practice" tab

  1. Click on "Practice" from the left-side menu

  2. Click on "Add+" at the top right corner

  3. Name your practice set

You can create as many practice sets as you'd like!

Adjust Practice Set's Title and Tags

If you need to make changes to your practice set's title, or if you'd like to associate it with a specific grade level(s) or subject(s) - simply click on the triple dot menu at the top right corner of the practice set and choose "Edit Settings". After adjusting the details, click "Save".

Add Flashcards to Student Practice

There are multiple ways to add flashcards to student practice:

  • Typing in card content manually

  • Generating a full practice set using Ai

  • Importing lists from external sources

Type card content manually

  1. On the right-side panel, enter the front side and the back side of the flash card into the corresponding fields.

  2. You can type in words as well as record audio files, and add images via upload or copy/paste
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    ​Pro Tip: enter LaTex expressions between $ signs to create math expressions:
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  3. Click "Add New Card" when finished

  4. The card you created will appear on the main practice page, and a new blank card will open for you to till

  5. Continue entering additional flash cards using the same method

When you're done adding the flashcards, click the X at the top right corner to close the right-side panel

If you need to add more cards, simply click on the "+ New Card" block or on the blue plus button at the top of the screen, and the right side panel will re-open:

Generate practice set with AI

If you've opted in to testing our Beta features of AI generation, you will have the option to utilize AI to create 10 flashcards at once, based on a topic of your choice. If you need more than 10 flashcards, you can add more to the set manually.

To generate 10 flashcards with AI:

  1. In the designated space, enter a topic to guide AI generation

  2. Click the Enter/Return key for AI to begin generating the cards
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  3. Give AI the time it needs to work on this. You can navigate away from this page while AI is working and come back to it later
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    4. Review the flashcards generated by clicking into them. The content will be displayed in the right side panel. You can edit the AI generated cards to your liking (don't forget to click "save" when done!). You can add images and/or audio as well. If you need to add more cards to the set click on "+New Card" and type in new cards manually

Import list from external sources

If you have an external source with a list of flashcards content you can import that list into the practice set and the system will create the flashcards for you.

Files to be imported should be in CSV (comma separated values) or TSV (tab separated values) format, and they should include two columns: first column for the front side of each card, and the second column for the back side. You can create your own external source list by using Excel or Google Sheets and saving the file as .csv or .tsv; or you can use lists that you have exported from third party websites and apps such as Quizlet, Anki, Gimkit, etc.

To import your list:

  1. Click on the triple dots menu at the top right corner of the screen

  2. From the dropdown menu choose "Import"
    ​

  3. A popup window will appear. In it you will find rows of fillable text fields divided into two columns. The left side column is for the front side of the cards, and the left side column is for the back side of the cards
    ​

  4. You can either manually add text into the text fields by typing or copy/pasting each field separately, or you can place your cursor into the first text field at the top and copy/paste your entire CSV or FSV formatted list
    ​

  5. When done, click on "Import" at the bottom of the window, and your flashcards will populate the practice set. You can then edit the cards if needed and add images and/or audio to them as well.
    ​

How to import lists from other websites / apps

If the other website or app you used to create your flashcards supports a .CSV or a .TSV format for exporting, you will be able to copy your flashcards into Formative in one go.

To do this start with exporting your flashcards list from the other website/app in a .CSV or .TSV format and then copy the content into the import modal as described above (click into the top left field in Formative and paste)

  • If you used Quizlet:

    1. Open the set in Quizlet (make sure you are logged in to your account)

    2. Select the triple dots (More menu)

      More_menu_-_iOS_-_Resized.png

    3. Select Export

    4. Set "Between term and defintion" to Tab

    5. Set "Between rows" to New Line

    6. Click Copy text (Image exports aren't currently available due to copyright restrictions.)

    7. Paste your text into your preferred Spreadsheet software (i.e. Google Sheets, Excel, etc.): right-click the top left cell in an empty spreadsheet. From the menu choose "Paste Special" and then "Paste values only"

    8. Download your file as .CSV or .TSV

    9. Copy the file's content

    10. In the Formative import modal, click into the top left field and paste (the modal will separate the cards front and back for you)

  • If you used Anki:

    1. In the start screen, navigate to the deck you want to export, then press the "⚙️ (Settings)" button next to the deck

    2. Choose "Export". Set the export format as "Notes in Plain Text".

    3. Once done, this .TXT file will have fields separated by tabs

    4. Copy the file's content

    5. In the Formative import modal, click into the top left field and paste (the modal will separate the cards front and back for you)
      ​

  • If you used Gimkit :

  1. Find the Kit you would like to export

  2. Click Export on the side panel

  3. Click Copy Text

  4. In the Formative import modal, click into the to pleft field and paste (the modal will separate the cards front and back for you)
    ​

Note: When saving your files into .CSV or .TSV files, it's important that your cards' front side are in the first column, and your cards' back side are in the second column (without any headers or titles, or no other columns used). Additionally, when importing from other apps, it’s not possible to import non-text content (such as images or handwriting) in these formats.

Duplicate Practice Sets

If you need to create a similar practice set to one that already exists, you can save a lot of time by simply duplicating the existing set and editing the new clone to match your needs. This is a great way to accommodate for differentiation!

There are several locations you can duplicate practice sets from:

From the Formatives tab

  1. On your Formatives tab, locate the practice set and check mark the box next to it

  2. Select "Duplicate" from the menu at the bottom of the screen

  3. Confirm creating the copy

  4. The copy will now be added to your list (marked with "copy of" for easy differentiation)

From the main Practice tab

  1. On your main Practice tab, locate the practice set tile

  2. Click the triple dots dropdown menu at the top right corner of the tile

  3. Choose "Duplicate" from the menu

  4. The copy will be added to your list (marked with "copy of" for easy differentiation)

From within the practice set

  1. Click on the triple dots menu at the top right corner of your screen

  2. Choose "Duplicate Set" from the drop down list

  3. The copy will be created (marked with "copy of" for easy differentiation) and you will be redirected into it immediately

Send Copies of Practice Sets to Other Teachers or Students

Now that the practice set is ready, you can send copies of it to other teachers and to students. There are two location from which to send copies from:

From within the practice set: Click the triple dot menu at the top right corner of your screen, and choose "Send a Copy"
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From the main "Formatives" tab: Check mark the box next to the practice set and select "Send a Copy" from the menu at the bottom of the screen
​

  1. In the pop up window, proceed to click on "Copy Link". Wait for confirmation that the link was saved to your clipboard
    ​

  2. You can now send this link to your colleagues and students. Some of the recommended methods are:

    1. Paste the link into an item on a formative that is related to the topic, along with any needed instructions to your students. You can add the link and instructions into any text field within the formative

    2. Paste the link in an email along with instructions and send to your students

    3. Paste the link into an external assignment posted to your preferred LMS or Google Classroom

    4. Paste the link along with instructions into a post on Social Media groups for your students to access

Collaborate with Colleagues (Gold plan only)

If you're a member of a Gold plan in Formative, you can collaborate with your colleagues on practice sets. Please refer to this help article for full details and instructions

Assign Practice to Classes

Ready to post the practice set to full classes? There are several ways to assign the practice to your class(es):

From within the Practice Set

  1. Click on "Assign" at the top right of your screen

  2. Check mark the class(es) you wish to assign this practice set to (you can also use the "select all" option to assign to check-mark all classes at once)

  3. Confirm by clicking "Assign" at the bottom of the pop-up window (wait to receive confirmation the set has been assigned)

The practice set will be added to the Practice tab of all the students in the class(es) you chose. Students will not be able to edit or copy the set you posted to them, they will only be able to view it and practice it.

From the main "Practice" tab

  1. From the main Practice tab, locate the practice set tile

  2. Click on the triple dot menu at the top right corner of the tile

  3. Select "Assign" from the list

  4. Proceed to check mark the class(es) you wish to assign this practice set to (you can also use the "select all" option to assign to check-mark all classes at once)

  5. Confirm by clicking "Assign" at the bottom of the pop-up window (wait to receive confirmation the set has been assigned)

From the "Formatives" tab

  1. From your Formatives tab, locate the practice set

  2. hover over the grid cell aligned with the class you want to assign the practice set to, and click on the displayed plus sign

  3. In the pop-up window, the selected class will already be check-marked, you can check mark additional classes at this time (you can also use the "select all" option to assign to check-mark all classes at once)

  4. Confirm by clicking "Assign" at the bottom of the pop up window (wait to receive confirmation the set has been assigned)

Preview Practice

You can experience the same workflow your students will experience by starting a practice with your newly created set

Access Preview

  1. Click into your created Student Practice set

  2. Click on the "Preview" button at the top right of your screen

  3. Choose your practice mode (flashcards, match or quiz)

  4. You will be redirected into the Practice experience

5. Click "Start" to begin your practice immediately.

Alternatively, you can select the background color you prefer by clicking on "Change Background" and then click on the Start button

6. Click on the Settings button at the top right corner to adjust your preferred Audio experience and background (this can be done at any point during the practice:

Use Preview in Flashcards mode

Follow the instructions below to use the practice set just as your students would to check their knowledge:

  1. Front side of flashcards will be presented to you one at a time

  2. Try to answer to yourself

  3. Click on the flashcard to turn it over to the back side

  4. Check your knowledge in comparison with the back side of the flashcard. If audio was added to the card, click on the "Play" icon to listen (to stop the audio click on the "Stop" icon)

  5. If you got it right click on the green "Got it" button, if you did not get it right click on the red " Didn't get it" button

  6. Any flashcards marked "Didn't get it" will be presented again at random and the practice will continue until you get all your practice flashcards right

Clicking the back arrow at the top left corner of your screen will redirect you back to your Practice page. This back arrow will function differently on a student's account. When students click on the back arrow they are redirected to the student practice page which acts differently.

🙋🏼 What if my students don't get all their flashcards right and they need to take a break, what do they do?

If a student needs to take a break, they simply click on the "Back" arrow at the top left corner of their screen which will return them to the main Student Practice page. Students' practice will save from where they left off, and they'll be able to see which flashcards they've mastered and which flashcards they're still in the process of learning. Clicking on the corresponding category will take them back to reviewing the front and back sides of the flashcards for additional memorization. When ready, they can click on "Practice" again to resume their practice.

Note: After pausing practice once, resuming the Practice will take into account the category of flashcards they were viewing. If they were revewing the flashcards they're still learning, only these flashcards will be presented to them when they re-click "Practice", and if they were reviewing the flashcards they already learned or those they haven't started yet - clicking "Practice" will present the corresponding flashcards as well.

If they want to practice the full set again, they should make sure they are viewing the "All" category.

Use Preview in Match mode

  1. Several options of cards containing either the front-side or the back-side of flashcards will be presented (not ALL flashcards necessarily, and not all of them will have a match at any given moment!)

  2. Click on pairs of matching cards (front & back) as you identify them - correct pairs will disappear from the screen and be replaced with new cards

  3. Watch the timer on the right side corner

  4. Collect points as you go!

    1. 100 points for matching on first attempt

    2. 75 points for matching on second attempt

    3. 50 points for matching on third attempt or more
      ​

  5. When you're done - your time and points will be presented

  6. Click "Play again" to try to beat your record, or "exit" if you've had enough

Tip: Turn sound affects on/off by clicking on the sound icon at the top of the screen

Use Preview in Quiz Mode

  1. One back-side card is presented along with fours front-side cards

  2. Chose the front-side card that matches the back-side

  3. Continue practicing until you get all the matches correctly

Deleting Student Practice

There are several locations from which you can delete a previously created practice set:

From within the practice set

  1. Click into the practice set

  2. Click on the triple dot menu at the top right corner of your screen

  3. Choose "Delete set" and confirm

From the main "Practice" tab

  1. From your main Practice tab, locate the practice set tile

  2. Click on the triple dot menu at the top right corner of the tile

  3. Choose "Delete" and confirm

From the "Formatives" tab

  1. From your Formatives tab, locate the practice set and check mark the box next to it

  2. Choose "Delete" from the menu and the bottom of the page and confirm

Pro-Tip: Embed a Practice Set in a Formative! (Silver/Gold Feature)

If you are a member of a Silver or Gold plan with Formative, you can use our Embed feature to give your students access to a practice set right within a formative assigned to them!

To do this:

  1. Click into your created Student Practice set

  2. Click on the "Preview" button at the top right of your screen

  3. Choose your practice mode (flashcards, match or quiz)
    ​

  4. You will be redirected into the Practice experience

  5. Copy the URL from the browser's URL bar
    ​

  6. Use an iframe code generator to generate the Embed code (for example iFrame Generator)
    ​

  7. Within the Formative you are creating for your class, choose the Embed item and paste the Embed code you generated into it

  8. Adjust the window's sizing by changing the height and width px (we recommend using height=“500px” width=“800px” though this may change depending on the browser you are using)

  9. Once you assign the formative to your class(es) your students will be able to use the practice set within the formative itself!
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Reporting on Student Practice

Teachers can see key data points on their students' activity with practice sets at the click of a button!

  1. From your main Practice tab, locate the practice you want to view the data for

  2. Click on the graph icon at the bottom right corner of the tile
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  3. Scroll the table of classes and students to locate the following data points:

    • Total Practice Time

    • Total Sessions

    • Last Practiced

    • Last Performance (percentage)

FAQ & Troubleshooting

🙋🏿‍♂️ I'm trying to import a file to create my practice set, what type of file or format is needed?

The best way to import a file is to save it as .csv or .tsv. However, you could use other file types as long as they follow what is commonly known as CSV or TSV format. The modal expects a string of delimited text to parse:

  1. It expects two columns, first column being the fronts of each card to import, and the second column being the backs.

  2. The import logic will try its best to guess which delimiter the string you paste is using

  3. The supported delimiters can be commas ,, tabs \t, vertical bars |, semi-colons ;, record separators (ASCII code 30), or unit separators (ASCII code 31)

  4. Each row should be separated by a newline character \n

Related Articles
Delete a student's response
Setting up classes and adding students
Students: Working with Student Practice Sets (Early Access)
Duplicate a Practice Set
Gold Plan schools: Collaborate on Practice Sets!
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