I discovered Memrise when I was trying to learn Korean (having deemed it a good idea to move out there without even being able to say “hello”!) and since realised that it could be a really useful tool for my Year 11 students to revise independently. The premise is very simple: users gain points by correctly answering questions on a series of interactive flashcards.

There are thousands of pre-made courses available for most subjects. Some are already tailored to specific topics or even exam boards, but you can also create your own courses as well. It can be used via the website (www.memrise.com) or by downloading the app, and you can create groups for individual classes or courses. The community aspect of it means that each course has a weekly, monthly and all-time leaderboard, and I give out prizes each week for whoever is top of the leaderboard, as well as printing it out for my classroom and tweeting it from our MFL account.

The science behind it works out how often users need ‘reminders’ to review the flashcard and embed their learning and this lessens over time. The students (KS3 and 4!) get really competitive about it, and they can create their own ‘Mems’ (images or catchphrases to help them remember certain things) and share them with their friends. From a teaching point of view, it is ideal for flip-learning homework and independent revision as we edge closer towards exam season.