Your most powerful self-learning software: SuperMemo 16 for Windows
Main features
- efficient learning: SuperMemo started in 1987 as the first freeware and later commercial software to implement spaced repetition. Spaced repetition is a method that maximizes the speed of learning by choosing the best moments for review of knowledge that is to remembered
- Knowledge Machine: SuperMemo implements a number of mechanisms inspired by the concept of Knowledge Machine described in Dr Wozniak's Economics of Learning (1994). Knowledge Machine is a system for gathering, processing, and optimally learning all forms of knowledge
- information management: SuperMemo helps you create a hypermedia database of flashcards, articles, pictures, videos, vocabulary, mail, etc. Up to 2 billion elements including up to 8 million hypermedia objects of virtually unlimited size
- incremental learning: as of 2000, SuperMemo implements the concept of incremental reading. With incremental reading, you can read thousands of articles without getting lost, and convert the processed information into rock solid knowledge. SuperMemo 2008 expanded the concept of incremental learning into the domains of incremental video and visual learning. SuperMemo 16 further expanded the incremental learning toolset by incremental audio and incremental video of local/off-line video files. For more see: Incremental learning
- priority queue: all knowledge in SuperMemo is strictly prioritized to make sure that the quality of your knowledge is retained in conditions when you have to reduce the time spent on learning (as of SuperMemo 2006). Concepts such as auto-postpone and auto-sort help you automatically reduce the learning load without affecting your top-priority knowledge
- element difficulty: all pieces of knowledge are automatically classified by difficulty, which is an integral part of the spaced repetition algorithm. Understanding difficulty helps you better understand the difference between knowledge that can easily be remembered, and knowledge that is poorly formulated and hard to learn. SuperMemo provides tools for the detection and resolution of material that is hard to learn (in the process called leech hunting)
- imports from the web: SuperMemo makes it easy to import knowledge from the web. Dedicated import filters are used to import from Wikipedia, YouTube, pictures, SuperMemoPedia, and more. You can also import all file archives from your hard disk or DVDs for incremental processing
- references: knowledge references help you learn in context and to retrieve sources of information (as of SuperMemo 2002)
- levels: to minimize intimidation with complex functions of SuperMemo, you can use Beginner and Basic levels in which SuperMemo's interface is minimized to expose only the most essential options used in basic learning. You can move to higher levels with a single click
- rescheduling: SuperMemo helps you manage excess workload or breaks in learning with rescheduling tools such as Advance (to speed up learning before an exam), Postpone (to reduce the learning load), Spread (to equally redistribute work over a period of time, e.g. after or before a break in learning), etc.
- review calendar: all future material review can be inspected in the calendar of repetitions. This calendar also shows the history of past learning, retention, workload, and individual pieces of knowledge that were reviewed. History of repetitions as well as future review estimates are also available for individual pieces of knowledge
- contents tree: knowledge in SuperMemo is organized into a tree structure. In incremental reading, the structure is created automatically and reflects the semantic connections between pieces of processed knowledge (as of 1995)
- registries: so-called object registries are used to minimize the size of the database with object reuse and automatic housekeeping. Exemplary registries include the lexicon, text registry, picture registry, sound registry, reference registry, or comment registry
- sleep analysis: sleep is vital for learning. Users of SuperMemo can optionally log their sleep data and use sleep analysis tools such as: sleep timeline, circadian cycle graphs, homeostatic sleep drive, alertness graph, 2-component sleep model graphs, and more (as of SuperMemo 2008). Sleep analysis tools can be used to optimize learning. They can also be used to optimize the timing of sleep for the best sleep quality
- statistics: SuperMemo holds rich knowledge statistics such as retention, learning speed, workload, and dozens of other parameters. Forgetting curve graphs help you see how your memory works (as of 1991)
Other functions
- programmable degree of recall (as of 1991)(see: forgetting index)
- various forms of knowledge tests (e.g. spelling tests, multiple choice tests, occlusion tests, cloze deletions, etc.)
- subset operations (memorize, forget, review, transfer, apply template, etc.)
- element browser with table and thumb display modes
- workload management with tasklists (as of 1999)
- time management with schedule planning based on proportional time allocations (as of SuperMemo 2000)
- incremental e-mail processing (note that automated imports require Windows (Live) Mail (or other e-mail client supporting EML) or MS Outlook 2000 or later, otherwise manual imports are necessary)(as of SuperMemo 2000)
- learning timeline (automatically generated Gantt chart analogous to the optional sleep timeline)
- functions typical to other Windows software: search&replace, copy&paste, clone, navigation tools (incl. history list), file pick list, templates, stylesheets, operations for the entire database: copy, move, merge, rename, etc.
What's new: from SuperMemo 98 to SuperMemo 16
For details see "What's new" of individual versions (note that some features have been removed overtime):