Retain

Retain is a hands-on flashcard software designed to boost knowledge retention effectively. By typing answers, users engage practically with the material. Acting as a virtual accountability partner, Retain helps transition information from short-term to long-term memory using spaced repetition for optimized learning. Flashcards progress through five difficulty levels, from Level 1 (easiest) to Level 5 (most challenging). The challenge increases by hiding parts of the text for recall, starting with small portions at Level 2 and requiring complete recall by Level 5. Hints are available from Level 2, but using them reduces scores, delays progress, or may cause a card to drop back to a previous level.

Creating Flashcards with Retain: A Step-by-Step Guide

To create flashcards using the Retain software, start by clicking the "Add Flashcards" button. In the text box that appears, type the front of the card, followed by a colon ( : ), and then finish with the back of the card. For example, you might type "term : definition," "front : back," "question : answer," or "foreign language : translation."

Make sure that both the front and back of each flashcard are less than 200 characters. This count excludes the colon separator and any spaces before or after it. Retain accepts several formats for separating the front and back of the card: "front:back", "front: back", "front :back" and "front : back". The presence or absence of spaces around the colon does not affect the flashcard's structure.

Each flashcard should be on a new line. After typing a valid flashcard, press the enter key to move to the next line. When you press enter, the previously typed text will turn red if the flashcard is invalid, or teal if it is valid and follows the predefined rules.

Retain also offers a button to paste text into the text box and automatically validate the flashcards. Once you have entered all your flashcards, click the "Add Flashcards" button at the bottom right to insert the valid flashcards you have typed.

Retain is a comprehensive flashcard software that offers various features to help users effectively manage and practice their flashcards. Here’s a breakdown of what Retain can do:

Deck Management:

Create Decks: Users can create decks to organize related flashcards.

Edit Deck Names: Users can rename their decks for better organization.

Export Decks: Flashcards in a deck can be exported as a text file for backup purposes.

Delete Decks: Users can delete a deck and all its flashcards if needed.

Flashcard Management:

Add Flashcards: Users can add new flashcards to any deck.

Delete Flashcards: Unwanted flashcards can be removed from a deck.

Edit Flashcards: Existing flashcards can be modified.

Do Flashcards by Touch Typing: Users practice flashcards by typing their answers.

Practice Flashcards: Users can practice flashcards that are awaiting their next interval after being done for the day.

Flashcard Practice Features:

Typing Practice: When practicing flashcards, users can retype the flashcards as many times as needed. The software provides feedback on typing speed and accuracy.

5-Stage Algorithm:

Level 1: The entire answer is revealed. Users retype it, but no score is awarded. The card graduates to Level 2 and will be seen again the same day.

Level 2: One-third of the answer is hidden. Users need to score 20% or above to graduate to Level 3. The card will be seen again the next day.

Level 3: One-fifth of the answer is hidden. Users need to score 40% or above to graduate to Level 4. The card will be seen again after 2 days, or the next day if the score is below 40%.

Level 4: Ninety percent of the answer is hidden. Users need to score 74% or above to graduate to Level 5. The card will be seen again after 3 days, or the next day if the score is below 74%.

Level 5: The entire answer is hidden. If users score less than 90%, the flashcard is demoted to Level 4. The card will be seen again after 6 days.

Important Note: 

Every time a flashcard is edited, its progress is reset back to Level 1. This ensures that the learning process starts fresh with the updated information. Each level is crucial as it sets the stage for Level 5, making the knowledge retention process smooth and easy for everyone.  Retain’s features are designed to make learning efficient and enjoyable, helping users retain information more effectively and in reasonable time.