The Hammer System
The Hammer System is a spaced repetition system (SRS) which uses an algorithm to arrange flashcards in an intelligent order to help you learn more efficiently. If you know a card well, Hammer will show it less often, so you can spend more time on learning other cards.
When you review a card, Hammer will show you some number of other cards before showing you that card again. If you get the card right, the card's progress level increases, and Hammer will show a larger number of other cards in between, making it more challenging to remember the card. Every card will eventually reappear again, so you don't need to worry about forgetting old cards.
Once Hammer detects that you have sufficiently mastered the current cards you are studying, it will introduce new cards automatically. Learning new cards will increase the challenge of recalling older cards, which is important for building up long-term memory. Hammer introduces new cards at the ideal time to maximize study effectiveness.
To study with Hammer, simply add all the cards that you'd like to learn, and study for as long as you'd like. Hammer will automatically manage your cards, and works well even with thousands of cards added. Users can usually make good progress by studying as little as 10 minutes a day with Hammer, but more motivated users can progress very quickly by studying for hours at a time.
SRS Details
Hammer uses a custom spaced repetition system that we call "Spaced Repetition with Repetition-based intervals". The system addresses some of the shortcomings of existing spaced repetition systems.
Existing spaced repetition systems generally use real-world time intervals to space out cards. Once you review a card correctly, the time interval increases until you see the card again, and if you get it incorrect, the time interval decreases so you see the card sooner. Once you study a card, the system makes you wait until the time interval passes before reviewing it again. Usually, users are encouraged to review every day and get through a backlog of cards that are currently due, and add some quantity of new cards every day. If they miss days of studying, then the backlog will pile up, which can feel discouraging.
If users want to study more after completing their backlog and scheduled new cards, then their options are to review cards early, which breaks the time-based spacing and is generally discouraged, or to learn even more new cards, which means that their backlog will be increased disproportionately in the future. These issues do not apply to Hammer.
The Hammer System uses repetition-based intervals instead of time-based intervals, which means that when you study a card, it will show you some number of other cards before showing you the card again. The repetitions of other cards serve to distract you from the original card, making it harder to remember, and making up for the lack of time-based intervals. Because of Hammer's system of repetition-based intervals, you're able to study for as long as you want without worrying about backlogs of cards or schedules.
Additionally, the existing spaced repetition systems generally don't perform as well for short-term studying goals, such as having a test or trip in a few days, because users are supposed to wait for the time intervals to pass before reviewing cards again, which may not match their required schedule. And if they get the cards incorrect, it will also increase the time required to master them.
With Hammer, you can continuously study with Hammer until you reach your goals. It's ideal for cramming for tests or upcoming trips, and also great for people who like to study for longer bursts of time.
Like other spaced repetition systems, Hammer will continue to show you material until you can consistently answer it correctly after long periods of time, ensuring that all material is eventually stored in long-term memory.
Hammer's system may not be better than the standard time-based intervals in some cases. Some users feel more motivated by the requirement of following a daily schedule and working through a backlog. Additionally, repetition-based intervals may not be a perfect substitute for time intervals. However, Hammer's users have generally found that the system works well even over long periods.
The Hammer System has been developed over several years and has a patent pending. We aim to keep developing Hammer as a sustainable business and continue improving it as a learning platform. Feel free to contact us with any inquiries.