Many people have trouble transposing the needle onto the DG. And of course it doesn't work in the case of a vac pump failure!
If you use the rotating card then the track from the station (similar to a radial) is on the tail of the needle. Bingo, you're orientated and the rest is relatively easy. When doing intercepts, when the tail is on the track you want the intercept is done and you can turn onto your heading. (with a bit of anticipation of course)
Few instructors here in Aus use the rotating card, using the logic that some aeroplanes may not have one. I've never come across one that didn't. Another reason I've been given is that the stude can't hold heading so the rotating card is no good. I say if they can't hold a heading they probably shouldn't be mucking around under the foggles yet!
There are forms of dyslexia where people have a lot of trouble with left and right, east and west, despite having excellent spatial orientation. Perhaps this is your student's problem. Ask her if she has trouble with left and right; and prefers to have her map aligned to track or aligned north upwards on lap when navigating. If it is the latter she could well have the above problem. Especially if reading is not a problem, but sometimes murds get wuddled when writing, and she can read mirror writing but not read upside down.
If this is the case she will find it harder than most but not impossible. A bit of patience and the penny will drop. Try saying "turn towards me/turn towards you" instead of "turn right/left" (which is actually meaningless to more people than many instructors realise!) until she gets the picture. I have seen this many times, with studes who have been told to align map to track and have got in a total frazzle; so for instructors those who insit on it, think again, it's not the only way.
(any instructors with this problem, remember which side of the aircraft you sit on, then remember "the instructor is always right"!)
Ropes laid out in the garden representing tracks inbound and outbound and then plodding around doing intercepts on foot helped me. Simple, cheap, effective. And a hoot if they have to hop if they get it wrong!
BTW to be REALLY pedantic, a QDM is a MAGNETIC track to a station, eg an inbound track on a VOR. A TRUE track eg to an NDB is a QUJ.
Good luck!
[This message has been edited by Charlie Foxtrot India (edited 17 March 2001).]