Overview - Efficient Testing |
Quizing words that you already know well is a waste of your time. You need to concentrate on words that you do not know. WordBuddy can help you make efficient use of your time.
Successful Answers |
Storage Box |
Waiting Time |
|
0
|
Start Box
|
30 minutes
|
|
1
|
Box 1
|
3 hours
|
|
2
|
Box 2
|
1 days
|
|
3
|
Box 3
|
2 days
|
|
4
|
Box 4
|
4 days
|
|
5
|
Box 5
|
7 days
|
|
6
|
Box 6
|
15 days
|
|
7
|
Box 7
|
1 months
|
|
8
|
Box 8
|
2 months
|
|
9
|
Box 9
|
4 months
|
|
10
|
Box 10
|
8 months
|
|
11
|
Box 11
|
1 years
|
|
12
|
Box 12
|
2 years
|
|
13
|
Box 13
|
4 years
|
|
14
|
Box 14
|
8 years
|
|
15
|
Box 15
|
15 years
|
WordBuddy uses 'storage' boxes to hold your words. The 'Start' box holds words that you have never gotten correct. Each other storage box holds cards that you have gotten correct a certain number of times. Box Number = Number of times correct.
Every new word starts out in the Start Box. When you quiz a word's flashcard, you move it between boxes. If you answer correctly, it moves up one to the next higher box. If you are wrong however, it jumps all the way back again to the Start Box. So you can slowly improve a word, but quickly go back to the beginning if you forget it even one time.
After placing a word into a Storage Box, WordBuddy holds it there for a while. After that time it is taken out and quized again. A correct answer will put it into a higher box that is deeper into storage. More correct answers will place it even deeper. Boxes that are deep in storage have words that you know better. They are quized infrequently. Harder words are in your Starting Box and are frequently quized.
The chart here shows how long WordBuddy holds onto each card before giving it to you again to test. For example, you answer a question correctly and it ends up in box #1 on Monday at 1:00pm. If you do another quiz before 3 hours later, WordBuddy will not give you that word again to quiz. After that time passes, you can do a quiz and WordBuddy will give it to you to re-test.
The Start box, box one and box two have very low waiting times. As you start to study a word, you will see it quickly a few times to make sure that you learn it. Higher boxes have much longer wait times. When you have answered a word correctly many times, you do not need to be re-tested often.
This system is based on work done by a German psychologist named Sebastian Leitner in the 1970s. Good luck learning.