Jeremy Thompson Catholic PhD in Biblical Languages, Programmer, Runner

A while back I posted my dissertation along with an invite to anyone who would like to use the ANKI cards that have developed out of part of my research. I’ve now got a file with those ANKI cards that you can use on your iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone. If you’re interested in getting the ANKI mobile cards, let me know, and I’ll send you a DropBox link.

It’s a little tricky to add the cards, but easy enough after you’ve done it once. You have to go into iTunes with your device pulgged in and click on the “apps” tab. Then, you scroll all the way down, and there is a place to add files on the apps screen. Add the files, then open ANKI on your mobile device and click “add/export.”  That’s the final step in adding them. It may take a minute for the app to load the flashcards though.

Anyway, let me know if you’re interested.

Thanks to Daniel and Tonya again for mentioning my vocabulary research as well as Rod.  I was going to post this when it hit SUNScholar, but I’m not sure how long that process takes.   So, for those interested in reading my dissertation, you can find it HERE.

Daniel also mentioned that I’m now using a program called ANKI. It’s open source and free … and I LOVE it.

This is part of the self critique that I would offer on my dissertation, which I addressed in my oral defense (in addition to the fact that the testing was necessarily partial).  My computer skills limited the development of new vocabulary learning materials to a significant degree, especially a good number of years back when I started the development phase.  There were no programs available at the time that allowed me to include everything that I felt like I needed to in a flashcard program.  ANKI now allows me to do that.  Much of the development from Chapter 4 has become streamlined in ANKI.  Only I’ve not been able to include listening and association exercises like those I developed for a web-based version.

If you download ANKI and would like to see the flashcards I’ve done, let me know.  I’ll send you a dropbox link.  The ANKI flashcards may not fit your course due to textbook differences, but you can use them as a template for including a variety of vocabulary learning strategies on your own cards.

If you read my dissertation, I’d be glad to dialogue with you concerning anything in the comments here or by email, etc.

For those interested in learning about “Biblical” Hebrew, though not necessarily in learning the language, check out John Hobbins’ recent post concerning Ancient Hebrew.  Since the post is called a plea it goes without saying that not everyone would agree with all of the information found therein.  However, it is a helpful overview for the interested lay person as well as containing helpful reminders for the more advanced scholar, e.g. this one: “For these reasons, the phonology, morphology, syntax, and prosody of ancient Hebrew is, in varying degrees, a matter of reconstruction.”