I have found out that I was bad at card making when reviewing the first cards I made after a lapse of time of not using Anki. My then self got frustrated and irritated by how vague and non-specific the cards I made myself were. I certainly learned something about my memory and cognition. The article is long, but it has some insights that resonated with me. I think the quality of the cards one makes is as important, if not more so, than spaced repetition.
I have made a few runs at adopting spaced repetition learning via Anki into my life. The failure point each time so far has been making cards that are worth anything.
Anki is a powerful tool for improving long-term memory.
Anki is best used in service to a creative project.
It is important to ask good questions when using Anki.
Anki is most useful for learning new fields.
Anki can be used to develop virtuoso skills.
It is important to avoid orphan questions and yes/no patterns when using Anki.
Memory is complicated and we should be careful before putting too much faith in any given model.
Distributed practice is important for maximizing retention.
Anki can be used to remember non-verbal experiences.
Anki can be used to memorize APIs and code.
The article discusses how to create effective prompts that aid in long-term learning using spaced repetition. Matuschak suggests that good prompts should be specific, clear, and concise, and should be designed to encourage active recall rather than passive recognition.
He also emphasizes the importance of interleaving, which involves mixing up different types of problems or questions to enhance retention and facilitate transfer of knowledge. Additionally, he suggests that prompts should be personalized and contextualized to increase engagement and motivation.
What memory type is virtually limitless? Long-term memory
What's the bottleneck between working and long-term memory? Speed of transferring memories
What is a "schema" in long-term memory? A pattern of knowledge for understanding
What happens when long-term memories return to working memory? Memory evolves, updates schema
What is Anki commonly used for? Rote learning and memorization
Time daily to maintain 10,000 Anki cards? 15-20 minutes
Michael Nielsen's rules for Anki-fying? Worth 10 mins future time, striking facts
Can Anki be used for complex concepts? Yes, by breaking down concepts and building knowledge