The IT Security course is supplemented by a digital, artificial intelligence (AI)-supported flashcard system. This contains questions on the topics covered in the lectures. The answers formulated by students are semantically compared with the provided model answer using SentenceTransformers (algorithms for comparing the content of sentences). An LLM (Large Language Model; a language model for machine-generated text) also provides specific feedback on the proposed solutions. Gamification elements integrated into the flashcard system (e.g. badges and high-score lists) boost motivation and thus enhance students’ learning outcomes. The fact that the flashcard box is available as a web application enables location-independent learning at a time of the student’s choosing, without having to forego immediate, personalised feedback.
Thanks to lightweight AI algorithms, the flashcard system can run independently without the need for specialised hardware. The source code is freely available under an open-source licence, and the questions are stored in an easy-to-understand, structured format. This makes it easy to adapt the flashcard system to other subject areas.
