241–249 of 249 posts
Isn't Anki good only for memorization? Spaced repetition doesn't seem to help learning how something relates to another logically like how to determine when to use what programming patterns.
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You're going for too big cards again. A single card doesn't need to answer absolutely everything there is about a red black tree. You want to ask about a single aspect of it per card. The definition is "what is it?". There is nothing to understand here. It could be taught to a parrot or child to repeat this information. What you're mentioning is a bunch of cards on top of that: how does a red black tree stay balanced…
I know that - I wrote the article which is the subject of this thread ;) I took you to be arguing that Anki should be used to learn without understanding.
I have used Anki productively, I think it's a great tool, and should be a component of learning in many fields. But I can't help but think it could be a lot better, a lot more efficient, perhaps even 2x more. Anki allows you to customise many aspects of when cards are shown. But presumably those settings can be tuned for a individual, a subject, or even a card. One person probably doesn't have enough data to know wha…
Duolingo open-sourced a data set and a model for learning the best time to present ideas for review; however, the model seems to be extremely limited and I could not get it to work at all.
I think the best open source solution here is Ebisu: https://github.com/fasiha/ebisu. It uses a custom statistical model which incorporates the idea of memory half-life, which is supported by learning research.
I tried using Anki but found it far too boring to sustain my interest. Staring at fact flashcards for hours on end just felt like a waste of time. In my experience it was much more useful and engaging to learn by doing things (creating, writing, experimenting) that the facts were related to - then the most necessary facts would become deeply embedded in my memory, with others at just the right level of vagueness nece…
Indeed. I see the value of Anki for rote memorization, e.g. studying for a fact-based exam. But for more reasoning-based domains I'm skeptical.
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I'm actually about to release my own SRS-based flash card app in a few days if you can wait a little bit. [1] I'm just putting the finishing touches on it and will release to macOS and iOS. I think Anki is a great tool, but I think there are so many aspects of it that can be improved, so I decided to write my own app. I'm hoping to refine the SRS algorithm, lesson UI, and card layout over time as I get input from fol…
Could you talk a little about your SRS algorithm as it is now?
The main thing I do differently, however, is I attempt to predict your retention score instead of having you self-report it. Unlike Anki where you choose how well you were able to recall the answer (essentially a score from 1 to 5), I use a combination of your CORRECT/INCORRECT signal as well as how quickly you reveal the answer to determine a recall score.
From my own testing, it works reasonably well, although there's room for improvement over time.
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Shameless plug: I make an SRS app called Flashcard Hero[1] (iOS/macOS/Windows). I strive to keep the app as easy to use as possible. [1]: http://flashcardhero.com
Definitely looks more user friendly than Anki. Could you talk a little about your SRS algorithm? Are you using SM2?
You can customize the intervals yourself per deck to adjust for the subject (e.g. vocabulary cards with only one word per card probably can have longer intervals than, let's say, an anatomy card with details about a muscle, bone or nerve).
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As someone who is now over a decade into their programming career, today I find more value in doing analytical breakdowns of my various success and mistakes. What were my oversights on a project? How could I have communicated better? What made one particular library a success, etc.? Therefore, after years of Anki, I've stopped adding new cards and doing repetition; instead I now focus on keeping a code diary. I've pu…
I love the code diary idea. Can I ask you what tools (software, pen&paper) you use for your diary?
Anki is no doubt a helpful tool. However, at some stage, I caught myself wasting a lot of time making my vocabulary cards and I noticed that my progress slowed down. It seems to me that in Memrise and Hack Chinese language learning features are implemented more effectively.
Most likely, as the article suggests, the point is that these apps were designed specifically for learning a language in the case of Memrise, and for learning Chinese in the case of Hack Chinese. Well, it’s quite reasonable to assume that spaced repetition principles work better when adjusted to a narrow goal.
Anyway, even though SRS software is very useful, I don’t think it has a superpower. I’m not sure how it works for maths and computer science, but when it comes to learning languages, you can’t reach a high level of proficiency by focusing on some relatively isolated parts of a language. Reading, listening, writing, and speaking are necessary to learn how words are used and to achieve the ability to use these words yourself. For serious learners, SRS software is important, but it’s just one tool in their toolkit.