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- THE PAPER-BASED VARIANT OF THE SUPER-MEMO METHOD
-
- Copyright (c) 1991 SuperMemo World
-
- If you want to apply the SuperMemo method in the process of learning
- and you do not have access to a computer then you can use the
- paper-based variant of the method. Although not as effective as the
- software application, it should ensure a great increase in the
- effectiveness of your work.
- You should follow the steps of the algorithm presented beneath:
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- 1. Split the memorized knowledge into smallest possible pieces later
- called items.
- All items should be composed of a question and answer and be as
- simple as possible.
- Example:
- if you want to learn the vocabulary of Esperanto then your
- items could look like this:
-
- Question: to learn
- Answer: lerni
-
- Question: a school
- Answer: lernejo
-
- Question: related to learning
- Answer: lerna
-
- if you want to learn biology then your items could look like this:
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- Question: What is the increase in the risk of lung cancer in a
- 20-fags-a-day smoker?
- Answer: 30 times
- 2. Write your items into an exercise book grouping them into pages.
- One page of your book should contain 10-40 items.
- 3. Repetition of a page will consist in trying to answer questions placed
- on the considered page. All questions that were not answered correctly
- should be marked and asked again in the second pass of the repetition.
- A given repetition should consist of as many passes as necessary to
- answer correctly all questions.
- 4. Repetitions of pages should be done in strictly specified intervals.
- This intervals are described by the function:
- I(1)=4
- I(n)=I(n-1)*1.7
- where:
- I(n) - interval after the n-th repetition expressed in days.
- (if you don't understand mathematics then look further)
- Fractional intervals should be rounded to the nearest integer.
- The above formula does not specify when the first repetition should
- take place. You can memorize a given page (perform the first page
- repetition) whenever you want.
- But since then you must repeat the page in the intervals determined
- by the formula, otherwise the knowledge will be forgotten.
- The formula indicates that the following intervals should have the
- following lengths: 4, 7, 12, 20 days, then 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 16 months,
- then 2, 4, 6, 11, 18 years etc.
- Therefore if you memorize the page on Jan 1, 1990 (the first repetition)
- then the second repetition should follow in 4 days i.e. on Jan 5, 1990.
- The third repetition should be separated from the second one by one week
- interval i.e. it should be done on Jan 12, 1990.
- The subsequent repetitions should come on Jan 24 (12-day interval),
- Feb 13 (20 day interval), March 13 (1-month interval), May 13, Aug 13
- (all dates in 1990), Jan 13, 1991, Oct 13, 1991, Feb 13, 1992 etc.
- 5. If you cannot repeat a page on an assigned day then choose the nearest
- date available.
- 6. If you forget some of the items (i.e. you give a wrong answer in the
- first pass of the repetition) and the repetition number is greater
- than four (i.e. you repeated the page at least four times before)
- then put the forgotten items on newly created pages, which will be
- later memorized in a standard way and subject to the routine process
- of repetitions.
- Do not cross out forgotten items from the original pages, i.e. keep
- them both on the old and new page.
- Items forgotten twice should have three copies in your exercise book,
- those forgotten thrice should have four copies etc.
- 7. Keep in mind the following advice:
- - do not repeat pages between the scheduled repetitions,
- - try to simplify items which are forgotten more than twice,
- - avoid changing the repetition dates,
- - items that are similar or mutually suggest the correct answer
- should be separated, i.e. put on different pages.
-
- Do not delay! Start using the SuperMemo method as of today! Good luck!
-
- To order SuperMemo software and/or publications contact:
-
- SUPER-MEMO WORLD
- Os Przyjazni 15-165
- 61-688 Poznan
- POLAND
- tel (48) 61 203157
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- All rights reserved. SuperMemo World, June 1991.