SuperMemo
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| Developer(s) | SuperMemo World |
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| Stable release | version 2012 (v. 15.22) april / 1 April 2012 |
| Operating system | Windows, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Web, more |
| Type | Accelerated learning and memory software |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | supermemo.com |
SuperMemo (from "Super Memory") is a learning method and software package developed by SuperMemo World and SuperMemo R&D with Piotr Wozniak in Poland from 1985 to the present.[1] It is based on research into long-term memory, and is a practical application of the spaced repetition learning method that has been proposed for efficient instruction by a number of psychologists as early as in the 1930s.[2] The authors of the learning method and lead programmers of the software are Dr Edward Jacek Gorzelańczyk and Dr Piotr Wozniak.[citation needed]
According to proponents of the spaced repetition learning method such as Piotr Wozniak, it can optimize measured long-term knowledge acquisition.[3][4]
The method is available as a computer program for Windows, Windows CE, Windows Mobile (Pocket PC), Palm OS (PalmPilot), etc. It can also be used in a web browser or even without a computer.[5]
The desktop version of SuperMemo (since v. 2002) supports incremental reading.[6]
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Software implementation [edit]
The software implementation of the SuperMemo algorithm in its most rudimentary and basic form is a database of question and answer (Q&A) fields (or more practically, digital and electronic flashcards).[citation needed] The database is either a pre-made collection, self-made, or in some cases both through Merging.[citation needed]
The software then traverses with the user through each element that is scheduled for repetition (a new set of "reps" is computed for each day on the calendar).[citation needed] The program gathers information about the user's memory through their responses and grades to their active recalls (conscious response to their questions – giving a conscious answer as opposed to passive review).[citation needed]
In three steps, the user reviews the card as follows:
- The user is given a question by SuperMemo
- The user responds with an answer from his own mind (active recall)
- The user gives himself a grade of what best reflects his recall. (A–E grade, or 5–0 grade, depending on what version and/or platform).
SuperMemo then calculates the needed intervals for proposed repetitions of one item or flashcard.[citation needed]
Algorithms [edit]
The specific algorithm SuperMemo uses has been published, and re-implemented in other, non-commercial programs such as Anki, Mnemosyne, and Emacs Org-mode's Org-drill, among others.
Different algorithms have been used; SM–0 refers to the original (non-computer-based) algorithm, while SM-2 refers to the original computer-based algorithm (used in SuperMemo versions 1.0 through 3.0, referred to as SM-2 because SuperMemo version 2 was the most popular of these).[7] Subsequent versions of the software have further optimized the algorithm.
The SM-2 algorithm has proven most popular in other applications, and is used (in modified form) in Anki and Mnemosyne, among others. Org-drill implements SM-5 by default, and optionally other algorithms such as SM-2. The SM-2 algorithm uses the performance on a card to schedule only that card, while SM-3 and higher algorithms use card performance to schedule that card and similar cards. The additional optimizations sometimes yield perverse results – answering "hard" on a card may yield an interval longer than answering "easy" on a card – and are criticized as reducing the robustness of the algorithm, making it more sensitive to variations – non-uniform difficulty of cards, inconsistencies in studying, and so forth.[8]
References [edit]
- ^ Wolf, Gary (2008), "Want to Remember Everything You'll Ever Learn? Surrender to This Algorithm", Wired Magazine
- ^ Spitzer, Herbert F. (Dec 1939). "Studies in Retention". Journal of Educational Psychology 30 (9): 641–656. ISSN 0022-0663.
- ^ Piotr Wozniak: Theoretical aspects of spaced repetition in learning
- ^ Wolf, Gary (2012), "QS Primer: Spaced Repetition and Learning", Quantified Self
- ^ Biedalak K., Murakowski J., Wozniak P.: Using SuperMemo without a computer – Paper and pencil method
- ^ Purdy, Kevin (2010), "Use Incremental Reading to Memorize Large Batches of Data", Lifehacker
- ^ 3. Account of research leading to the SuperMemo method, 3.1. The approximate function of optimal intervals and 3.2. Application of a computer to improve the results obtained in working with the SuperMemo method, P. A. Wozniak, Optimization of learning, Master's Thesis, University of Technology in Poznan, 1990.
- ^ What spaced repetition algorithm does Anki use?, "If you are very consistent in your studies and all cards are of a very similar difficulty, this approach can work quite well. However, once inconsistencies are introduced into the equation (cards of varying difficulty, not studying at the same time every day), SM3+ is more prone to incorrect guesses at the next interval – resulting in cards being scheduled too often or too far in the future. Furthermore, as SM3+ dynamically adjusts the "optimum factors" table, a situation can often arise where answering "hard" on a card can result in a longer interval than answering "easy" would give. The next times are hidden from you in SuperMemo so the user is never aware of this."
External links [edit]
- SuperMemo
- Articles
- Tomasz P. Szynalski: Use spaced-repetition software (SRS) – An introduction to spaced-repetition and SuperMemo
- Pawel Kowalczyk: Learn English with SuperMemo – How SuperMemo can help learn English
- Patrick Kenny: Memory Software: SuperMemo – A guide to using SuperMemo to study Japanese
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