You Will Learn Quicker Using Our Apps

 

It is a scientific fact that spaced repetition, and in particular Leitner-based spaced repetition, helps a student learn faster.  We provide apps which feature not only Leitner-based spaced repetition, but a very unique customized version of the algorithm. 

 

The Leitner algorithm was originally created in the 1950s by Sebastian and employed physical cards and boxes, but now we use computer technology to implement the method using a complex mathematical algorithm.  This algorithm allows the user to tell the computer whether they know an item or not, and the computer will use that information as well in making a decision in regards to what item comes next.  Basically, items that a user marks as “I don’t know” come back more often than items that are marked “I know it”.  However, our algorithm takes this even further.  Studies have shown that approximately 50 items per set is a good size to work with.  When you study, you may mark the first item you study has “I don’t know”.  With a regular Leitner-based algorithm, you’d then have to study 49 other items until you see that difficult item again, and by the time you do, you’d have probably forgotten it already.  Studying like this essentially makes the first exposure to the item ineffective.  However, our custom algorithm gives you a reminder every ten cards.  It’s as if the app is telling the user, “Hey, you marked this one wrong nine cards ago.  Remember it?”.  This little reminder seems to come at the exact time your brain needs it, and by the time you finish all 50 cards, the chances that you will remember that difficult item increases substantially. 

 

In addition, our app has a “difficult item folder” to improve the efficacy of learning.  This new feature automatically puts items that you mark “I don’t know” often into a special folder.  Any items below a certain threshold go there.  This is useful after a user has studied a large amount of items.  Let’s say a learner studied 1,000 items.  In each set of 50, there might be 5 items that they always get wrong.  After finishing studying the 1,000, the user will need to go over those difficult items.  So, despite those 100 items being from different sets of 50, their low percentage correct would automatically put them in the “difficult item folder”.  The user can then go directly to that folder and get the review time they need to master them without wasting time studying other items they already know.