Flashcard Design Rubric

v2 · February 2026

Scoring checklist for every card in the Sonographer In The Making series. Synthesized from Jenny's feedback across five review cycles.

Scoring

2 Fully met 1 Partially met 0 Missing or wrong
44 - 48: Production-ready
36 - 43: Minor revisions
24 - 35: Major revisions
Below 24: Redesign
24 criteria × 2 points each = 48 points possible per card
A
Audience and Clarity
6 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Demographic fit Examples and visuals reflect female college students, ages 18-40. Relatable scenarios from college life or everyday experience. No generic or masculine defaults.
Tone Clear, supportive, never condescending. Reduces cognitive load at every step.
Beginner clarity A brand-new student with zero prior exposure could follow the card without outside explanation. No layered complexity before fundamentals are established.
B
Card Structure and Section Flow
12 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Section order Cover → Concept → Example → Visual/Graph → In Ultrasound → Quiz → Self-Sort. No sections skipped or reordered.
Cover Term name + one-line plain-English summary. Cover color #65bf9e for physics cards. Other specialties get their own cover colors. Interior colors are independent.
Concept vs. Key Terms The Concept tab introduces the big idea, not a dictionary of terms. If the content is terminology, it is labeled "Key Terms." Terms are introduced one at a time with individual visuals, then consolidated into a summary view. acoustic-waves feedback
Concept 2-3 short sentences max. No jargon without immediate definition.
Example Real-world analogy with a visual. Relatable to audience (see Section A). Uses real illustration, not code art.
In Ultrasound Bridges concept to ultrasound practice. Prefers hands-on interactive over static graph. Term previews follow structured definition format.
C
Term Presentation and Definitions
8 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Term color consistency Every key term has one assigned color used everywhere it appears across all cards. Card title bold in term color. In-body mentions same color, bolded. Tracked in a master list.
Definition format Term Name (colored, bold) → Definition: one sentence, anchor words bolded → Example: one sentence. Definition and example visually separated, never merged.
Anchor words The 1-2 words students get tested on are bolded. Must reflect actual testable phrasing (e.g., "HOW MANY" for Frequency, "HOW LONG" and "ONE CYCLE" for Period). If not tied to exam recall, do not bold.
Cover vs. interior colors Cover color is topic-level (physics = #65bf9e). Interior term colors are system-level and independent of cover. Future specialties get unique covers but share interior logic.
D
Text Emphasis and Formatting
8 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Core takeaway animation Each section's main point phrase is colored and animated with a subtle bounce or shake on first view. Requested 3x
Directional color coding Warm color (red) for up/increase. Cool color (blue) for down/decrease. Applied wherever directional language appears. Separate from term colors.
Bold discipline Bold is intentional, not decorative. If bolding a single word adds no clarity or test relevance, skip it.
No emdashes Emdashes do not appear anywhere in card text.
E
Interactives
8 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Manipulation over observation Students drag, turn, push, pull. Not just watch. Strongest preference
Control hierarchy Seesaw / knob / draggable model → slider bar → static graph. Slider bars are least preferred. Graphs acceptable as supplement but never the primary interactive in Ultrasound sections.
Sensory feedback Sound and sensory cues where possible (e.g., pitch change with frequency, knob louder/quieter).
Interactive justification Interactive clearly improves understanding of the concept. If it adds complexity without clarity, simplify or remove. Interactives earn their place, not included for novelty.
F
Visual Assets
6 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Scene-setting imagery Real illustrations or photos via <img> tags (SVG/PNG). Not canvas-drawn shapes. Code-rendered elements are fine only for functional UI the student manipulates. Flagged 3x
Medical realism Ultrasound-related visuals should resemble real practice (transducers, tissue, blood flow), not abstract representations. Placeholder must indicate planned real scan integration where appropriate.
Missing asset protocol When an illustration is unavailable, use a clearly marked dashed placeholder frame with a description of what goes there. Never ship canvas programmer art. Consistent style from illustration libraries or custom SVGs matching brand palette.
G
Pacing and Text Economy
8 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Slow before fast Slow, simple version always shown first. Fast/complex layers gated behind user action. Fast animation is never the first exposure. compression-rarefaction, repeated
Animation restraint Animations are subtle, purposeful, and speed-adjustable when motion-heavy. Word animations bounce gently, not aggressively. Constant motion is overstimulating.
Text density No section shows more than 3-4 sentences at once. Secondary explanations collapsed into dropdowns. Every visible word earns its place.
Show over tell Placeholders for images/visuals preferred over paragraphs of explanation.
H
Layout and Typography
6 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Whitespace and density Tight layout. Illustrations not padded to artificial squares. Above-the-fold space prioritizes information density. Empty vertical padding must be intentional, not default.
Visual hierarchy Concept → Explanation → Example → Interactive. Clear and consistent. Clean, modern, professional, engaging. Not dark or game-like.
Fonts Titles: Tomarik Brush. Subtitles: Tomarik Poster (all caps). Body: DM Sans (placeholder until Jenny confirms).
I
Quiz and Self-Sort
4 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Quiz 1-3 targeted questions on topic. Correct/incorrect feedback present. Incorrect answers prompt retry before advancing.
Self-Sort "I understand this" / "I need to review this" buttons present and functional. Routes card to known pile or review pile.
J
Graph Standards
4 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Axis labeling Both axes labeled with real numbers and meaningful units. Students can visually track values.
Annotation discipline No meta-annotations ("same pattern," etc.) printed on graph. Slope described using "from left to right" convention in accompanying text.
K
SPI Registry Integration
4 pts
CriterionStandard 2 1 0
Flagging Registry-aligned concepts visually flagged, clearly and consistently. Follows Jenny's chapter order, not SPI outline order.
Tone "This is important for the registry" framing. No guarantees it appears on the exam. Guidance, not pressure.
Score Summary
A. Audience and Clarity _____ / 6
B. Card Structure _____ / 12
C. Term Presentation _____ / 8
D. Text Emphasis _____ / 8
E. Interactives _____ / 8
F. Visual Assets _____ / 6
G. Pacing and Text Economy _____ / 8
H. Layout and Typography _____ / 6
I. Quiz and Self-Sort _____ / 4
J. Graph Standards _____ / 4
K. SPI Registry _____ / 4
Total _____ / 48
Confirmed Future Features (Not Scored in Trial Batch)
FeatureNotes
Progress trackingCompletion percentages per card and across sets.
Performance statsCorrect/incorrect data per card.
Spaced repetitionStruggling cards auto-repeat until mastery.
AudioSound cues, animations, Jenny's voice for explanations.
Downloadable PDFsFor note-taking alongside the cards.
Member environmentSecure, member-based access.
Note: These are confirmed platform wants. Do not block trial batch delivery on these. Card architecture should accommodate later integration where practical.