We all want a better memory.  Wouldn’t it be nice to actually remember what you read?  Well there is a secret that you can use to help you remember what you read, and it’s easy to do.  The secret lies in something called active recall and the testing effect.

Active recall is an important principle to understand if you want to improve the efficiency of learning. (and we do!)  It is is when you actively stimulate memory during the learning process.  The opposite of active recall is passive review, where the material is  processed passively by simply reading, watching, listening, etc.

So if you were reading an article about nutrition, with no further action, that would be a passive review.  If at the end of the article you answered the question, “What are the four basic food groups?”, that would be active recall.

That is the reason school textbooks have questions at the end of each chapter.  Answering questions “stimulates memory” and greatly increases your chances of retaining what you just read.  Active recall is much more beneficial for long-term memory.  Reading before an exam, would not leave a stronger long-lasting memory unless the recalling process is stimulated.

The principal of active recall is present is the testing effect.  The testing effect refers to improved memory that comes from the act of retrieving information, as compared to simply reading or hearing the information. The effect is also sometimes referred to as “retrieval practice” or “test-enhanced learning“.

So do you want to remember more of what you read?  Try this.  At the end of an article or book chapter, ask yourself a few questions or just try to recall the main points and facts about what you just read.  You’ll see for yourself how much it helps.

By the way, what are active recall and the testing effect?

The spacing effect is a psychology term that refers to the fact that one can learn and remember items in a list more easily when they are studied a few times over a long period of time, rather than repeatedly in a short period time.  The spacing effect was first identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885.

The way this phenomenon relates to studying is that, it suggests that “cramming” the night before an exam is not as effective for learning and retaining material as studying at shorter intervals over a much longer span of time.

However, there is no benefit to spaced presentations (studying a few times over a long period of time) for retaining things for short periods of time.  At short retention intervals, massed presentations (studying repeatedly in a short period of time) lead to better memory performance than spaced presentations.

So basically, the spacing effect proves what you already know.  If you really want to learn something, you need to really study it.  Review the material in short intervals over a long period of time.  If you don’t care about learning the material and all you want to do is pass your test, by all means cram away.  It actually works better in the short term.

Making your first post is always a big deal.  Should it be an introduction to who we are, proving our expertise on learning and memory?  Should it be an attempt to be ranked in Google, full of search terms and keywords?  There is plenty of time for all of that.  For now, lets go with why we are starting Memory Deck in the first place.

Whether you want to learn a new language, SAT vocabulary, Algebra, or Organic Chemistry, learning anything new requires some aspect of memorizing new words or information.  Flash cards are the most common tool that people use to memorize new things.  Technology exists now, that makes it possible to create a learning tool that is like flash cards on steroids.  We are creating a tool that allows you to use your eyes, your ears and your brain, to memorize anything quicker and actually retain what you memorize.

There is a difference between memorizing and learning.  It takes the same amount of time and effort to memorize something long enough to regurgitate it the next day for a test, as it does to the actually learn new things so that you can recall the information not days or weeks later, but forever.  The difference is the process you use to learn the information.

Memory Deck leverages new technology like iPhone Apps, and established technology like the internet and RSS feeds, but we are more than just a fancy new media version of the flash card. We have done extensive research on the best processes to memorize and learn new information.  The research of Robert A. Bjork and Hermann Ebbinghaus and concepts like the Forgetting Curve and Spacing Effect have all influenced the way we build our tools.

In future posts we will go into more detail about the learning process and the best and fastest way to learn new things.  We want this blog to be a resource you can use to learn how to learn.  For now though, we just wanted to briefly introduce ourselves.  So, Hi!  We’re Memory Deck.  We’re here to make it easier for you to learn new things and remember what you learn.  Nice to meet you.