Flashcards: they’re the handy study tool most of us have relied on at one time or another to commit important information to memory. They’re easy to create and perfect for memorizing all sorts of things, from simple equations—remember learning your multiplication tables?—to new vocabulary words.

If you’re considering adding some flashcards to your next e-learning project, here are three design pointers to keep in mind:

  • Pick flashcards when helping people memorize small bites of information. You wouldn’t want to use them for helping folks master a complex, multistep process, for instance.
  • Make sure images on flashcards are relevant. Skip images that are merely decorative, and make sure they scale well so your learners can make them out clearly.
  • Keep text-based flashcards short and sweet. The whole point of flashcards is to help folks quickly absorb key information, so any text on the flashcard should be quick to read.

With these few pointers, you’re ready to start exploring your options. And that’s where this roundup of downloads and examples can kickstart your creativity. Whether you’re snagging a source file or stealing an idea from an example, these projects will have you creating fun and functional flashcards in no time flat!

  • Use the flashcard block in Rise 360 to integrate flashcards into your e-learning projects super easily. In this full course example, Allison LaMotte drives this home by using lots of picture-filled flashcards to help learners recognize important road signs for Americans driving in France.
  • Look to Storyline 360 for infinite possibilities to create almost any type of interaction you can imagine—including flashcards. Whip up your own flashcards in no time with this cute and clickable postcard-inspired download from Paul Alders
  • Enjoy the easy-breezy color palette of this click-and-reveal PowerPoint flashcard template from Nicole Legault, which can be customized in a snap: simply switch up the colors and fill the flashcards with your own keywords and definitions.
  • Need to learn a new language? Flashcards are a perfect tool since they let learners practice recognizing foreign words or phrases and their translations. Let this brilliant example from Ridvan Saglam give you a burst of creativity—and brush up on your Turkish while you’re at it!


Looking for more ways to boost recall with your learners? Chat with some fellow e-learning pros in our Building Better Courses forum, or check out all the practical e-learning ideas in our E-Learning 101 hub.

Want to give any of these ideas a try for yourself? Snag a free 30-day trial of Articulate 360 to check out all the cool new features in Storyline 360 and Rise 360—including the new Rise 360 scenario block.

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