The program tracks individual student performance (rates correct and incorrect, and accuracy) and these records can be "read" by the instructor using the ThinkFast Utility program. The utility program also allows the instructor to create new decks. Indeed, one of the best features of the ThinkFast authoring system is the ease with which new instruction can be created and revised.

Multiple Response Modes and Keywords
ThinkFast allows learning in multiple response modes with the same items. A single item can provide multiple practice opportunities for the learner without additional effort by the author. Consider the following sample item extracted from the glossary of a university-level Biology text:

A simple kind of learning involving loss of sensitivity to unimportant stimuli, allowing an animal to conserve time and energy.

In this example I have underlined the designated keywords within the item. When practiced the student might be presented the whole definition and asked to provide the correct answer, "habituation."

1. A simple kind of learning involving loss of sensitivity to unimportant stimuli, allowing an animal to conserve time and energy.

Alternately, the definition might be presented with any one of the keywords omitted, and the correct answer would be to provide the missing keyword word or phrase, as shown below:

2. A ______ kind of learning involving loss of sensitivity to unimportant stimuli, allowing an animal to conserve time and energy.	3. A simple kind of ______ involving loss of sensitivity to unimportant stimuli, allowing an animal to conserve time and energy.
4. A simple kind of learning involving loss of ______ to unimportant stimuli, allowing an animal to conserve time and energy.	5. A simple kind of learning involving loss of sensitivity to ______ , allowing an animal to conserve time and energy.
6. A simple kind of learning involving loss of sensitivity to unimportant stimuli, allowing an animal to conserve ______ and energy.	7. A simple kind of learning involving loss of sensitivity to unimportant stimuli, allowing an animal to conserve time and ______ .

Since ThinkFast allows Say and Type response modes, we end up with 14 different ways to practice this single item. We call this curriculum multiplication! ThinkFast for Windows adds the "Point To" response modes, allowing the learner to select from text alternatives (Point To Text Choice), image alternatives (Point To Image Choice), and to click on an area of an image (Point To Picture Elements). ThinkFast for Windows has nine distinct response modes: Say Back, Say Keyword, Say Front, Type Back, Type Keyword, Type Front, Point To Text Choice, Point to Image Choice, and Point to Picture Element.

A sample learning module, included within the ThinkFast for Windows Demo, provides fluency-based instruction that illustrates multiple learning channels. The LearningPictures deck includes just 36 physical cards. But, because cards can be used in multiple learning channels, and because keyword cards have multiple keywords, the 36 cards provide learning opportunities for 166 "virtual" cards. This learning module also illustrates how images can be used in several ways.

ThinkFast for Windows: Information and Demo for downloading.

ThinkFast for DOS: Information and Demo for downloading.