Answer: The "back" of a ThinkFast Card. When practicing in the Answer Mode a Question is presented to the learner and the desired response is the Answer. For example, if the Question part is a definition, the Answer part might be the defined term. Or, if the Question part is a problem to solve, the Answer part might be the correct solution to the problem.
Answer Mode: A practice mode in ThinkFast were the learner's correct response is to supply the missing answer to the question or problem on the card. This is in contract to Keyword Mode where the correct response of the learner is to "fill in" selected missing phrases on the Question side of the card.
Application: Application refers to several types of learning transfer. Application can mean the tendency for a learned performance to occur under novel circumstances. Application can refer to the tendency for component skills to recombine in new ways. As well, application can refer to so-called higher level "critical thinking" as when a person applies a solution to an analyzed problem.
Card: An item in a ThinkFast
Deck. The ThinkFast card is similar to a flash card except it has some special parts. The Question part is what we might call the "front" of the card. It usually contains a question to which the learner responds. The Question might contain one or more marked Keywords that are to be "filled in" during a Keyword Mode practice session. Cards also usually contain an Answer part that is similar to the "back" of a flash card. The Answer is the desired response from the learning during an Answer Mode practice session. In the Windows version of ThinkFast, the card might also contain an Image. The image can serve as a kind of question by itself, as when the response is to identify the image by saying or typing its name. Latter version of the software will allow "pointing" responses to images.
Celeration: The rate of change in the frequency of a behavior. This terms is derived from "acceleration" and "deceleration" which refer to increases and decreases in the rate of change.
Curriculum Multiplication: The expansion of practice opportunities afforded by the multiple response modes and the use of keywords within ThinkFast. For example, an item with four keywords and one answer can be practiced as five Say items and five Type items, yielding 10 practice opportunities. This feature saves the instructional designer time as it provides learners with the greatest chance of learning fully the intended concepts.
Deliberate Practice: Deliberate Practice is a term coined by Ericsson and his colleagues. It refers to the observation that experts in many fields spend years developing their skills by practicing component parts of their repertoire. It is probably called deliberate because it involves selective practice of component parts of the final repertoire, and therefore differs from simply performing the final behavior over and over.
Direct Instruction: An instructional method developed and tested by Siegfreid Engelmann (See Engelmann & Carnine (1991)). The method follows a logical analysis of concepts and procedures, and presents to the learner examples and non-examples in an instructional sequence that fosters rapid concept learning. Direct Instruction has been shown to be the most effective form of academic preparation and maintenance during the Head Start and Follow-Through programs developed in the USA (Watkins, (1988).
Endurance: Endurance refers to the tendency for a learned performance to occur for extended periods of time, and for high quality performances to be maintained under unusual or distracting circumstances. Endurance seems to result when a performance is practiced until both accuracy and speed are high.
Generative Instruction: An instructional method developed and tested by Kent Johnson and Joe Layng (See Johnson & Layng, 1992;
Johnson & Layng, 1994). The method combines elements of Precision Teaching, Direct Instruction, Personalized System of Instruction.
Programmed Instruction, and their own component/composite analysis of learning. The method has been shown to produce faster than average learning with populations of learners normally thought to be incapable of even average performance. At Morningside Academy in Seattle, Washington, Johnson provides parents of children a money back guarantee if their children do not show learning rates twice that expected of normal children.
Image: A graphic of a ThinkFast for Windows Card. The Image might serve as the stimulus in place of or as a supplement to the Question. Later versions of ThinkFast for Windows will allow the learner to respond to the Image by pointing.
Keyword: Words or phrases within the Question part of a card that have been specifically marked as important phrases by the deck author. When practicing in the Keyword Mode, selected Keywords within the Question are omitted and become the desired response from the learner. For example, a Question might be a definition of a term, and in the Keyword Mode one of several words or phrases might be omitted from the definition. The correct response of the learner would be to "fill in" the missing words or phrase.
Keyword Mode: A practice mode in ThinkFast were the learner's correct response is to supply the missing word or phrase on the Question part of the cards. This is in contract to Answer Mode where the correct response of the learner is to give the "answer" to the question or problem on the Question side of the card.
Point To Text Choice:Response mode where the learner sees the Card Front (Question) and uses the mouse to point to 1 of 4 text choices.
Point To Image Choice:Response mode where the learner sees the Card Front (Question) and uses the mouse to point to 1 of 4 image choices.
Point To Picture Element:Response mode where the learner sees the Card Front and a large image. The correct response is to point to and click on a designated area of the image.
Sprints: A short timing often used to practice a behavior at high speeds. Sprints for 10, 15 or 30 seconds, for example, can be used to help the learner get "unstuck" from a locked rate.
Personalized System of Instruction: An instructional method developed and tested by Fred Keller (See Keller, 1968) and successfully used in colleges and universities. The method involves setting high mastery standards, and allowing students to achieve these standards at their own pace. Research has demonstrated that PSI results in demonstrably better learning and retention than traditional instruction (Kulik, Kulik & Cohen, 1979).
Precision Teaching: An instructional method developed and tested by Ogden Lindsley (See Lindsley (1992)). The method focuses on the learner's performances as a means to assess interventions ("The Child Knows Best"). The frequency of target behaviors is tracked and charted on a standardized chart which allows the teacher to make informed choices in instruction. Key concepts of Precision Teaching include Fluency, Celeration, and REAPS.
Programmed Instruction: An instructional method developed and tested by B.F. Skinner (See Skinner, 1968). The method involves the presentation of small "frames" of information each requiring a discriminated response. The learner moves through the sequence of frames at their own pace, usually with few errors and frequent positive feedback.
Question: The "front" of a ThinkFast Card. When practicing in Answer Mode the Question is presented to the learner and desired response is the Answer. For example, if the Question part is a definition, the Answer part might be the defined term. Or, if the Question part is a problem to solve, the Answer part might be the correct solution to the problem. When practicing in the Keyword Mode, selected Keywords within the Question are omitted and become the desired response from the learner. For example, a Question might be a definition of a term, and in the Keyword Mode one of several words or phrases might be omitted from the definition. The correct response of the learner would be to "fill in" the missing words or phrase.
REAPS: Retention,
Endurance, ApplicationPerformance Standards: An acronym referring to the benefits of fluency. When fluency reaches the level of empirically-derived Performance Standards, the performance will have enhanced Retention, Endurance and Application.
Response Modes: The body system that is involved in responding. ThinkFast provides for at least two response modes: Say and Type (and Point with ThinkFast for Windows). In the Say mode the learner speaks the correct answer while in the Type mode the response is entered using the keyboard. The Windows version of ThinkFast adds Pointing response modes of three types: Pointing to the correct textual answer from a selection (multiple-choice), pointing to an image from a selection (multiple-choice), and pointing to the part of an image.
Retention: Retention refers to the tendency for a learned performance to persist following periods without practice (i.e., memory).
SAFMEDS: Say All Fast Minute Every Day Shuffled. A procedure for practicing facts on cards. The learner shuffles the cards and then practices saying all of the cards during a brief timing period (often one minute). Practice for these short timings is to occur each day.
Say Back:(Say Answer in DOS) Response mode where the learner sees the Card Front (Question) and thinks or says the Card Back (Answer).
Say Front:(Say Question in DOS) Response mode where the learner sees the Card Back (Answer) and thinks or says the Card Front (Question). This mode ensures bi-directional learning of such things as terms and definitions.
Say Keyword:Response mode where the learner sees the Card Front with a randomly selected keyword or keyword phrase missing. The learner is to think or say the missing keyword.
Sprints: A short timing often used to practice a behavior at high speeds. Sprints for 10, 15 or 30 seconds, for example, can be used to help the learner get "unstuck" from a locked rate.
TAFMEDS: Type All Fast Minute Every Day Shuffled. A procedure for practicing facts on cards in the Type mode. The learner shuffles the cards and then practices typing all of the cards during a brief timing period (often one minute). Practice for these short timings is to occur every day.
Timing: A practice session, usually brief, during which a performance occurs. Rate of correct and incorrect responses are recorded. Timings are often one minute in duration. But sprints of shorter duration can also be used to promote higher levels of fluency. Longer timings are used to build Endurance.
Tool Skills: Component knowledge and skills that, when fluent, contribute to the mastery of composite performances, and when not fluent serve to hinder development of composite performances.
Type Back:(Type Answer in DOS) Response mode where the learner sees the Card Front (Question) and types the Card Back (Answer).
Type Front:Response mode where the learner sees the Card Back (Answer) and types the Card Front (Question). This mode ensures bi-directional learning of such things as terms and definitions. Not available in ThinkFast for DOS.
Type Keyword:Response mode where the learner sees the Card Front with a randomly selected keyword or keyword phrase missing. The learner is to type the missing keyword.
Whole Deck:A practice session in which the learner goes through the entire deck of cards once.