TinyCards: the Little App that Couldn't

TinyCards is the flashcard app from Duolingo.  Like Duolingo, it's cute, colorful, and clever.  But unfortunately, like Duolingo, it's also ineffective.

TinyCards contains flashcards on a wide variety of subjects - not just Mandarin, and not even just languages.  

There are plenty of Chinese flashcard decks created by various users.  Not all of them are of equal quality however.  

Once you pick a deck, TinyCards "teaches" you several words, and then drills you.  

But the drill is a multiple choice (with only 3 choices).

This is the great weakness of TinyCards.  Multiple choice quizzes do not force you to remember from scratch.  The choices become a crutch.  TinyCards has no way of discerning how easy it was for you to guess which card was correct.  Did you actually remember it or was it a lucky guess?  

If you'd like to find out which flashcard apps I do recommend, click here.