Why turn Word into flashcards
Word documents are the most universal note format: live-typed lecture notes, personal summaries, essays, reports. The issue is they're built to be read, not to memorize. You can reread a 30-page Word doc ten times and retain nothing if you never test yourself.
Flashcards solve this by turning your document into questions. Instead of passive rereading, you're forced to retrieve information from memory. That's active recall — the most effective evidence-based technique.
What Diane handles in a DOCX
AI processes all structured elements: titles and sub-titles, paragraphs, bullet lists, tables, embedded images, equations (Office Math notation). Footnotes and comments are also considered if you want them to enrich the cards.
For very long documents (50+ pages), Diane auto-splits by chapter based on your titles. You get a deck per chapter, easier to review than one mega-deck.
Live-typed lecture notes
If you type notes during class, the format is probably rough: abbreviations, bullets, telegraphic style. Diane handles this: AI rephrases incomplete sentences into clear questions without changing the meaning. Raw notes become a clean deck.
Essays and reports
For essays or university reports, AI identifies main arguments and examples. One card per central argument, plus cards for important references. Useful for prepping a defense or oral exam.
Multi-editor compatibility
Diane reads DOCX produced by Microsoft Word, Google Docs (DOCX export), Pages (DOCX export), LibreOffice and OpenOffice. Output is identical. If you use Google Docs, export to DOCX (File > Download > Word) before loading.
Use cases
Students: convert lecture notes into a midterm review deck, turn a defense-prepared essay into flashcards. Pros: memorize a Word-written procedure, create a deck from an internal user manual. Self-learners: turn your own summaries into a review tool.