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Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

natemeyvis.com

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Re: Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

#31

Post by hn_user82179 »

redfloatplane wrote: post #15
rjh29 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More precisely, enjoys memorizing things but isn't good at it. Professonal quizzers can absorb huge amounts of information but typically don't use flashcards. OP is grinding thousands of cards a day to get to the same level - worthy of respect!

> but typically don't use flashcards Can you elaborate on this? I watch an unhealthy amount of University Challenge and I assumed that the vast majority of contestants would use flash cards as a trivia retention tool. Most people I've met who need to rely on large amounts of accurate but relatively dispersed knowledge (law students, say, or specific historical professions) use flash cards in one way or another. It su…

I highly doubt professional or even amateur quizzers wouldn't use flashcards. Especially armed with a SRS algo, it would be the most efficient way to learn to quickly recall the type of info needed for quiz bowls

Re: Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

#32

Post by simedw »

First of all, big kudos for not missing a single day. When I used flashcards in the past, missing even a couple of days led to an avalanche of cards to review.

Since you’ve been so consistent and are using your own software, have you experimented with different resurfacing rates? Did you notice a material difference in recall?

Re: Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

#34

Post by yesitcan »

yodsanklai wrote: post #33

They barely mention why they're even doing this. I see flashcard as a means to something (e.g. learning a language, preparing for a test...). The measured outcome should be the success in task, rather than the number of reviewed cards.

Yeah, can anyone else that does this explain what the point is? Genuinely curious.

Re: Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

#36

Post by naet »

BeetleB wrote: post #26
satisfice wrote: post #5

Does doing this have utility? What problem does it solve? Years ago, I memorized 1034 digits of pi just to see what it felt like (reciting pi from memory felt like walking through a forest at night without bumping into any trees). So, there was some value in that experience. I wonder what this guy gets out of it?

Random example: In my last job I would point out JS language features that would have made my coworker's code more concise and canonical. I hadn't done any JS coding beyond a few examples from a tutorial. There's no way I would have retained that knowledge otherwise. There are many such examples. In general it's extremely useful for retaining things you are not going to develop muscle memory for. "Memorizing by doing…

So you have cards for JavaScript features? What do they look like?

Re: Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

#38

Post by _JoRo »

rjh29 wrote: post #10
santoshalper wrote: post #6

I read the author's attempt to explain why memorization is important, and found myself unconvinced. Of all the things we consider to be "intelligence", memorization of facts seems like one of the least valuable in the Internet-era. That said, I am open to hear some counter-arguments (pro-memorization). Of course, if you simply enjoy the process of memorizing facts, then no explanation is needed - it is entertainment…

Memorization focuses on the set of things you want to recall, but don't use often enough to naturally remember. This is most peritent for language learning because you need to 'bootstrap' a large set of words and grammar, and you can't use all of them often enough to put them in long-term memory (at first). Aside from foreign languages, I also use flashcards for English - more difficult words that show up rarely enou…

I think the key part here is the bootstrapping phase. You may not use a specific English word every week, but maybe you use it every 2-3 months. SRS is great for getting information to these different thresholds!

Re: Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

#39

Post by Theaetetus »

yesitcan wrote: post #34
yodsanklai wrote: post #33

They barely mention why they're even doing this. I see flashcard as a means to something (e.g. learning a language, preparing for a test...). The measured outcome should be the success in task, rather than the number of reviewed cards.

Yeah, can anyone else that does this explain what the point is? Genuinely curious.

1. I have always loved learning things, both big and small. 2. I enjoy trivia competitions. 3. I'm interested in human memory more generally. 4. I think that spaced repetition software could be a lot better, and I'm trying to make such software. So when I study, I'm also getting the value of using and improving my own software.

Re: Yearly analytics on my spaced repetition results

#40

Post by Theaetetus »

aydin212 wrote: post #35

301k reviews/year is serious commitment. Curious — do you ever prune low-value cards, or is the goal to never delete anything?

I prune some, but less than I probably should, and less than most other serious SR people do. I'm more interested in techniques for (i) raising the quality of even my lower-value cards and (ii) figuring out how to actually learn the stuff that people think of as "leeches."
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