Hm. But when we recall something, we refresh all the connected memories as well. It gives you the whole picture. You may be referring to some specific kinds of flashcards, the ones that only make you recall one particular fact, and that depend on some particular association. Here is an example of flashcards that I created to prepare for my uni course: http://www.memcode.com/courses/18. For example when I answer to this question: 'How is one bel defined?', I can't help but recall:
Ans still it can be answered in about 3 seconds. I recall the big picture in a few seconds. I can't imagine how any other technique may have a comparable effectiveness.
To be clear - it's 19:00 Tbilisi time, September 17th.