What is Leitner System?

Studying for a test is the process of moving information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. Scientific research has demonstrated that flashcards are the best way to accomplish this task. The fundamental principle of long-term memories is that they need to be relearned occasionally in order to survive.

A German scientist named Sebastian Leitner discovered that flashcards were amazing tools for this process of relearning. The system he developed, known as the Leitner system, is as helpful now as when it was invented. Indeed, because it is based on the way the human memory actually works, the Leitner system will be a benefit to students forever.

Leitner noted that flashcards were a great way to learn new information, but he wanted to make the process even easier. His research indicated that a great deal of time was being wasted in going over material that was already learned.

In order to make learning as time-efficient as possible, Leitner developed the following system. He separated a cardboard box into various compartments, and placed all of the flashcards one of the middle compartments. Each of the cards had a question on one side and the answer on the other. Leitner then went through the cards: if he got the answer right, the card moved forward a compartment; if he got the answer wrong, the card moved back a compartment. Soon, Leitner had divided all of the cards into two categories: those he knew, and those he did not. He could then go back and study only those cards that gave him trouble, without wasting time going over information he had already learned. As he learned that troublesome information, he moved the cards ahead.

It is easy to see how the Leitner system for learning with flashcards can save you time and stress as you prepare for an examination. With the help of a comprehensive set of flashcards, you can put the Leitner system to work for you on your next exam. You’ll find that it gives you the most learning over the least amount of time!

How does it work?

The idea is that the easier it is to recall the material on a flashcard the less often that flashcard will be repeated in the future. The reverse follows. The harder it is to recall the material on a flashcard the more often it will be repeated. The repetition of each flashcard is scheduled, or spaced, in such a way that the learner spends most of their time studying material that is more challenging. Material that has been retained well is studied only occasionally to ensure it has not been forgotten.

The Leitner System's implementation of spaced repetition works like this:

• A container called a cardbox or a cardfile is set up to hold the flashcards. It is divided into multiple individual compartments. FlashcardDB calls the groups of flashcards in each compartment decks.
• All flashcards start in deck 1.
• When the material on a flashcard is recalled correctly it is moved forward by one deck. (See the green arrows in the diagram above). If the flashcard was already in the last deck then it remains there.
• When the material on a flashcard is not recalled it is returned to deck 1: regardless of what deck the flashcard came from. (See the merged red arrow(s) in the diagram).
• Each subsequent deck has a longer period of time before the flashcards it contains must be repeated.
  

Hi2En uses the Leitner System (online Leitner box) to transfer data (like words) from your short-term memory to your long-term memory and helps you to learn them forever. In this online learning system If you know the answer, click on the “correct” button. Otherwise, click on the “incorrect” button. If you answer the question correctly it will go to the next step (and it will be active after a standard delay time) and if you answer the question incorrectly it goes to step 1 and it will be active to learn again.

The time delays are:

• 2 days for step 2
• 4 days for step 3
• 8 days for step 4
• 16 days for step 5

Benefits

• Selective Learning: Prioritize your studying by focusing on the proper compartment—each compartment represents a degree of knowledge. This allows you to learn what you need to learn, when you want to learn it.
• Staggered Learning: Using the review scheduling system allows you to maintain properly spaced review sessions. Staggered learning minimizes the amount of time required to complete a cardfile and maximizes information retention.
• Automation: Flashcards are moved between the compartments without effort. Review frequency is determined automatically using established intervals and an e-mail will show up each day indicating what cardfiles you need to study.
• Assessment: By examinining the distribution of flashcards within the various compartments you can easily gague your mastery of the subject.
• Community: Cardfiles can be made up of any of the hundreds of thousands of flashcards in our system. Add these flashcards to your own cardfiles to leverage the time spent by your peers to create these flashcards.