Kitsun Knowledge Base

SRS stands for Spaced Repetition System. It's a study technique that has been proven by many studies on how it's a very effective and efficient method of turning short term memories into long term memories.

To put it simply, it's a way to make sure you don't forget those study lessons you work so hard on, to the point of it still sticking to your memory even after years. This is why Kitsun chose this method to revolve on as a learning platform. It's just that amazing.

It uses a combination of the spacing effect and repetition to make sure of that.

💡 The spacing effect is the finding that studying through repetitions that are spaced out over time make stronger long-term memories rather than doing the exact same repetitions spaced over a much shorter amount of time or massed altogether.

It's handy in language learning, medical knowledge, memorizing historical facts and dates, and anything at all you can think of. Even in making sure that you don't ever forget your friend's birthday ever again.

So, how exactly does it do that?

Have you ever tried making paper flashcards for your studies? You take a paper card, write down a question on one side and the answer on another. Every now and then, you'd pick it back up and test yourself on the content you wrote on the card.

Paper flashcards are sort of the...outdated and ineffective version of this. Sorry, paper flashcards...

SRS is based on the fact that your memory grows stronger and gains a more solid foundation every time you recall something just as you're about to forget it. And so, recalling knowledge at the most optimal moment possible is how Spaced Repetition makes sure you work smartly, without wasting more energy than necessary.

Recalling information at the most efficient moment combined with a spacing effect algorithm is how SRS assures you that you can better retain knowledge permanently.

Let's see this in action and say you're trying to memorize that the Japanese word, "hito", means "person" in English.

1. You're asked for the first time, "What does 'hito' mean in English?" when you answer correctly, you're in the clear for the first round!

2. The next time you're asked, it's been 4 hours. "What does 'hito' mean in English?" That's right, it means 'person'! You leveled up again!

3. Every time you get it right, it means your memory is ready for a longer interval. The amount of time since you were last asked increases every time it levels up. From 4 hours, it'll become 8 hours, a whole day, two days, a week...until next thing you know, you're able to remember that correctly even after several months.

4. If you get it wrong at any point, the system knows this means you need to see it again but sooner and more often, so it lessens the time interval. Don't get discouraged about not moving up though, it's only natural that if you keep getting it wrong, you need to see it more often until you're ready for the next level. You'll earn that level up sooner than you think.

And here's how Kitsun uses SRS to optimize your learning

We have 5 ranks, with 9 levels all in all; Beginner (having 4 sub-levels), Novice (having 2 sub-levels), Intermediate, Expert, and Master.

The first items you get to review are going to be 4 hours after you do your lessons. When you get that one right, it will level up and the next time you see it will be in 8 hours. The higher a level you go, the longer the intervals become until you finally get it to Master level, which means you were able to get the correct answer even after 4 months. This theoretically means you have got it stuck in your brain for as long as possible! Whoa, would you look at you and your progress! You go, my friend!

Here is how all the time intervals are set up. Though you can customize them to how you prefer them to be, this is what we recommend as it's generally the most effective one when it comes to retaining knowledge forever (in our opinion).

Beginner:

This level has 4 sub-levels, the first sub-level showing that you have just studied this card as a lesson. The second sub-level means you got it right even after 4 hours. The third is even after 8 hours. And the fourth and final one means you got the answer correct even after 1 day!

Novice:

The next level has only 2 sub-levels this time. The first sub-level means you got it even after 2 days. The second means you still got it right even after 1 whole week!

Intermediate:

Having no sub-levels and being one whole level by itself, if you get this one right, that means you still got the knowledge right in your brain even after 2 weeks! That's great!

Expert:

This one has no sub-levels either, if you get an item up to this level, it means you got it correctly even after a whole month! Look at you go!

Master:

The final level! An item at this level means you answered the card correctly even after 4 entire months! You did it! This item has been officially and fully mastered in your head!

Now that you've learned what SRS is and why it's so awesome as a learning technique, why don't you try it out yourself? Let's get to it!