Students merge collaboration and technology, using online tools like Skype and Quizlet to study cooperatively for exams

While many of us are familiar with the ways technology hinders studying by providing constant distractions, some students use it as a tool to collaboratively study. Senior Kei Imada has been using Skype to help create a collaborative work environment between him and his classmates since his sophomore year..

“When I came into highschool, I found out that my English wasn’t that great, so I tried to find help from teachers and friends. I had a friend who was good at English but struggled with math, so we decided help each other in our weak classes,” Imada said.

Since then Imada has been using Skype as a way to study as a way to collaboratively study with friends for difficult classes.

“I saw a difference in my work after having it edited by a friend, so we continued this style of work throughout the years,” Imada said.

Senior Nick Sage also uses Skype as a platform for collaborative study during his junior year. Imada and Sage often used Skype to study for difficult classes such as Biology or Survey of U.S. History.

“While using Skype isn’t as good as being in the same room as someone, that’s just not realistic,” Sage said.“It lets you work at your own pace but also ask questions if you need to. If you have someone to ask your questions to, you’ll get them answered, which doesn’t happen if you are studying by yourself.”

In addition to using Skype as a tool for collaborative study, Imada also uses Quizlet, an online flashcard studying tool to help study for assessments in Biology and History during his junior year. Quizlet allows students to create online flashcards to study, in addition it can generate practice quizzes based off of the flashcards created.

“I had heard rumors that Biology was a notoriously difficult class, and I didn’t have a good way to study for it. That’s when I came across Quizlet. Quizlet helped me understand concepts better, so I used it to study for Biology,” Imada said. Imada also shared his Quizlets with the rest of the grade, as a way to help them study.

“People thanked me for posting my first Quizlet, which gave me motivation to keep making them, so I wasn’t just helping myself, but also others,” Imada said. Sage also made use of Quizlet as a study tool, “I think making a Quizlet helps you study a lot, because it forces you to review everything.”

For Sage, another benefit of using Skype to study was not just to ask questions, but also to give a place to answer questions.

Sage said, “You learn stuff better if you teach it to someone else. You might not be 100 percent confident on something, but if you can explain or teach it to someone, then you have to be sure that you understand it yourself.”

By: Shawn Owens