22/2/2015

SuperMemo:Learn

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Editable(wiki)versionofthispage

Contents
1Repetitioncycle
2Grades
3RegularrepetitionsarethekeytosuccesswithSuperMemo
4Incrementallearning
4.1Furtherreading

LearningwithSuperMemoisbasedonrepetition(seewhy).
ThebuttonLearn(bottomleftinthepicture)makesitpossibletolearnthematerialstoredinSuperMemo.

Repetitioncycle
WhenyoupressLearn,SuperMemowillaskyoutomakerepetitions(i.e.reviewduematerial).Ineachrepetitionyouwilldothefollowing:
1. Lookatthequestionandtrytoanswerit(mentallyorverbally)
2. ChooseShowanswer(atthebottomofthescreen)toseethecorrectanswer
3. Compareyourresponse(fromStep1)withtheanswerdisplayedonthescreen(inStep2)
4. Chooseagradethatwillreflecttheaccuracyofyourresponse(e.g.Good,Fail,etc.)(see:gradedescriptions)
5. ChooseNextrepetitiontocontinue(andgobacktoStep1)
Therepetitioncyclemaybeshorter.Iftherepetitionispassive(e.g.readinganarticle),youmayimmediatelyjumptotheNextrepetitionstage.
Remember:
Yourfirstrepetitionswillusuallycomeuponlyin35daysafteryoufirstaddnewmaterial.Beforetheyaredue,youwillonlysee"Nothingmoretolearn".Thisisnormal.If
Learndoesnotaskanyquestions,useAddnewtoaddmorematerial
Donotlookatthetimer,theresponsetimeisignoredwhenmeasuringyourperformance.
Ifyoukeepcyclingthroughitemsandyouneversee"Nothingmoretolearn",youareinthefinaldrillstageandyoumuststartgivingpassinggrades(GoodorBright)

Grades
Thegradesaredefinedasfollows(keyboardshortcutsinparentheses):
REMEMBERING
Bright(press5),excellentresponse
Good(press4),correctresponseprovidedwithsomehesitation
Pass(press3),answerrecalledwithdifficultyperhaps,slightlyincorrect
FORGETTING
Fail(press2),wrongresponsethatmakesyousayIknewit!
Bad(press1),wrongresponsethecorrectanswerseemstobefamiliar

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SuperMemo:Learn
Null(press0),completeblackoutyoudonotevenrecalleverknowingtheanswer.IfyousticktotherulesofSuperMemo,youshouldrarelyornever
needthisgrade.Thisiswhyitisnotdisplayedonthestandardgradepanel.Toissuethatgrade,usethekeyboard.

Gradingtips:
Important!YouonlyhavetounderstandthedifferencebetweenPassandFail!
Passandmoremeansremembering!
Failandlessmeansforgetting!
yourgradingwillworkaslongasyoualwaysgradeyourselfconsistentlyandclearlydifferentiatebetweenPassandFail.Overtime,youwilldevelopstronghabitsthatwillhelp
youselectgradesautomaticallywithoutmuchthinking
insteadofclickingagradebuttonyoucanjustpressakeyboardshortcut(e.g.5tochooseBrightor2tochooseFail)

RegularrepetitionsarethekeytosuccesswithSuperMemo
InSuperMemoyoufirstmemorizethematerialandthenreviewitwhentheprogramasksyoutodoso.
Youmemorizenewmaterialatyourownpacebutonceitismemorized,youmustmakerepetitionsexactlyasdemandedbySuperMemo.Thisisnotalimitationoftheprogram.
Thisisalimitationofhumanmemory!
ThepowerofSuperMemoisinprovidingthebesttimingforrepetitions.Optimally,youshouldworkwithSuperMemoeveryday!Thiswayyouwillnotaccumulateoutstanding
materialandyouwillnotdeviatefromtheoptimumscheduleofrepetitions!
Yourrepetitionsshouldproceeddailyuntilthefollowingequivalentconditionsaremet:
youseethemessage:Nothingmoretolearn
Outstandingequalsto0+0inthestatisticswindow(orsimply0)
thesecondfieldofthestatusbardisplays(0+0)/x,forexample:(0+0)/23(orsimply0)
theprogressbaronthestatusbarbecomesblue(orisinactive)
Learningstages
Eachday,yourlearningwillproceedinthreestages:
1. Repetitionsreviewingmaterialthathasbeenmemorizedearlier(tomakesureyoudonotforgetit)
2. Memorizingifyouhavetime,youcanmemorizenewmaterialbyansweringYestoDoyouwanttolearnnewmaterial?(thismessageissuppresseduntil
youmemorizeyourfirst100elements)
3. Finaldrillreviewingmaterialthatcausedmostproblemsinthefirsttwostagesoflearning(SkipfinaldrillmustbeuncheckedinOptions)

Incrementallearning
Onceyoumastertheabovebasiclearningprocess,youshouldconsiderlearningaboutincrementallearning.
ThemaindifferencesbetweenclassicalSuperMemo,asdescribedabove,andincrementallearning:
lesstyping,higherlearningspeed
readingnewarticlesorwatchingnewvideosmaybeinterleavedwithstandardrepetitions(asdescribedabove)
theroleofMemorizingandFinaldrillstagesisdiminished.Allmaterialismemorizedbydefaultandyourworkismoremnemonic.Thisrequiresfarlessdrilling
withthehelpofthepriorityqueue,youcanaddfarmorematerialtoyourcollectionthanyoucanpossiblyreview.Thisiswhy,inincrementalreading,youwilloftenstillhave
lotsoflowerpriorityoutstandingmaterialinthequeueattheendoftheday
Asincrementallearningisrathercomplex,youshouldfirstsensethepowerofSuperMemobymasteringthebasiclearningprocessasdescribedonthispage.

Furtherreading
FAQ:QuestionsaboutlearningwithSuperMemo
FAQ:Questionsaboutlearningandmemory
Incrementallearning

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