Using software to schedule studying

The efficiency of spaced repetition is known. They schedule reviews for us at a time we are most likely to forget the information. This paper studies the other aspect of these software programs, namely their ability to sort out lists of information for us to review and spread out the information.

Abstract

The efficiency of spaced repetition as a study technique has been well documented in medical and language learning education. Spaced repetition software, that can schedule for us to review information at a time we are most likely to forget has been well studied. This paper tires to study the other aspect of these software programs, namely their ability to sort out lists of information for us to review and spread out the information on sequential days so as not to over-burden us.

Introduction

Effective learning strategies are crucial for today's educational demands. Years of research have been compressed into a semester's coursework which might seem impossible for the human brain, but time and time again, people have demonstrated that it is certainly possible to study effectively, perform extra-curricular activities and still have an enjoyable life with friends.

One of these effective study methods is to let spaced repetition software schedule our coursework for us. Just tell all the subheadings of all topics to the program and it can divide all of that information into manageable study sessions everyday.

The Method

The aim of this method is to remove the mental burden of deciding what to study everyday. This is only possible if the program has a list of all the topics that we need to know before-hand and also knows how long we have to memorize the said facts.

The software shows us topics or facts that we need to memorize for the first time or review again and we never have to worry about missing a topic or fact that we forgot to study.

You can read more about how spaced repetition works here.

The Software Programs

The most popular spaced repetition software is Anki. Another rising popular application is Remnote which allows the user to take notes and create flashcards out of them at the same time.

Conflict of Interest

The author declares no conflict of interest or no financial gain from the mention of the products.