What Is Flashcard Copilot? [AI Feature]

FEATURE OVERVIEW

AI can speed up studying or quietly sabotage it. Here’s why Brainscape built an AI assistant that improves flashcards, without replacing thinking.  Want to know more about why Brainscape developed Copilot and how this is a more effective way to use AI?  Read all about it in our Brainscape Academy or watch this video to help you better understand how this works.

We believe that this feature is core to our learning philosophy and constructivist approach.  For more about the cognitive science that fuels Brainscape, please read this Brainscape Academy article.  

Brainscape wants to give you the tools so that YOU are in CONTROL of your making your study materials the best that they can be more easily and with the power of AI at your fingertips.  We also want to support you as you study your flashcards with AI tools at your fingertips.

Brainscape's team has added a series of menu options on the Question and Answer sides of our flashcards in the EDITOR to help you improve your cards one-at-a-time and further improve your retention and learning experience. We have also added a Copilot option in STUDY on the answer side to give you More Context.  We think that you are going to love it!  

THE BASICS

Here is what you need to know about our new Copilot feature:

• You must be an Admin / Editor in the class;
• This is free for everyone for a limited number of tries; after that it is a Pro feature;
• This feature is available on the Question or Answer side of the flashcards.  
• During EDITING: You may need to start entering text to be able to access the 'sparkle' icon.  You can click that icon to see the prompts available:
• DURING STUDY: You can use this feature on the Answer side to give you a bit more context when you click the sparkle icon.

Read below to understand the difference between Copilot options you can use on our Editor and during Study.

Copilot in Editor

Here is what you need to know about our new Copilot Editor feature:

• QUESTION side prompts: 
  • Simplify question → Rewrite the question to be shorter, clearer, and easier to understand, while preserving the original meaning.  Specifically, Simplify will shorten sentence structure, remove filler words, and keep only essential information.
  • Add hint (in footnote) → Create a subtle clue in the question footnote that guides the learner toward the answer without revealing it outright.
  • Turn Q into Q/A → Convert the provided text, in the question field, into a clear, self-contained question and a direct answer in flashcard format. If the answer is populated, it will ignore and overwrite it. 
  • Refine card→Rewrite the question and answer to be shorter, clearer, and easier to understand, while preserving the original meaning.  Specifically, Refine will reformat, rephrase, simplify, and emphasize key terms to improve readability and retention.

• ANSWER side prompts: 

  • Answer this card → Provide a clear, correct answer in the answer field based on the question text and any available context.
  • Simplify answer → Rewrite the answer to be shorter, clearer, and easier to understand, while preserving the original meaning.  Specifically, Simplify will shorten sentence structure, remove filler words, and keep only essential information.
  • Elaborate (in Footnote) → Add relevant background, examples, or context to the answer footnote to enhance understanding without repeating the main answer.
  • Add mnemonic (in footnote) → Add a memorable mnemonic or memory aid in the answer footnote to help the learner recall the answer.
  • Turn A into Q/A→Convert the provided text, in the answer field, into a clear, self-contained question and a direct answer in flashcard format. If the question is populated, it will ignore and overwrite it. 
  • Refine card→Rewrite the question and answer to be shorter, clearer, and easier to understand, while preserving the original meaning.  Specifically, Refine will reformat, rephrase, simplify, and emphasize key terms to improve readability and retention.

  Based on the information that you have on either/one side of the card, the prompts will work to enhance or create your flashcard.  For a better understanding about each of the prompts and how they were programmed to work, read this article.

Tell me how it works: Here are the steps to get to this feature:

1. Move to the card editor for an existing deck or a deck you've just created;
2. Find the flashcard you'd like to edit and move to either the Q or the A side;
3. After 3 characters have been typed, you will see the sparkle icon with a list of available prompts listed when you click on the sparkle;
4. Choose the prompt you'd like to use. [REFERENCE:  to better understand how each prompt works, read more here.] There are specific offerings on the Question side and Answer side.
5. Pick the prompt you want to use based on the information you want AI to help you create or refine on your cards.
6. You are able to review the Original card as well as the Proposed Card to see if you like the Copilot updates.  
7. Either go back to the original or Accept the changes and Voila!  
8. You may continue to work through the existing or new flashcards with our Copilot until you are done, and then Save & Exit to return to your dashboard to Study.

COPILOT IN STUDY

When you are in Study mode, you can click the sparkle icon to get more context.

1. After you rate your confidence on the Question side; you will be presented with the Answer.
2. You can click the sparkle icon and AI Copilot will generate more context for you.

See below screenshots for more information:

.       

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

Need more help or want to share feedback with the team?  We'd love to hear from you as we continue to iterate on our AI features.  Reach out to [e-mail] and let us know how we can help.

If you'd love to vote for a new Brainscape feature, see what others are requesting, or get a sneak peek at features in our pipeline, please check out Brainscape User Feature Requests Forum!  

Or read more about the science of learning in our  Brainscape Academy.