diagrams or mindmapping Use of hypertext to connect related information Testing, reviews and tracking of knowledge - 'spacing effect' Barriers Barriers to the use of study software include: Requires hardware, and in some cases electronic access to the content, and neither might be available. Some level of skill may be needed to use the hardware required by the software. Learning may be delayed by the need of skills such as typing, using a mouse, pointing on a touch-sensitive screen, or other skills required to handle the hardware. Costs of hardware, software, and salaries, combined with low budgets in some schools, may limit the availability and usefulness for the study resources. Programs don't communicate together as they could (see Unix philosophy). Self-contained programs either don't offer enough features (e.g. calculation of the spacing effect to learn faster) or offer more than they should (Software bloat). Content might differ significantly in different countries. Future A number of converging trends make it extremely likely that study software will become ubiquitous within 10 years. Supply of the enabling technologies will improve. Trends include: Improvements in battery technology, head worn sound and visual displays, input devices, speech recognition, handwriting recognition will allow mobile computing to become the norm. There are no more 'basic breakthroughs' needed in any of these areas before wearable computers become a given in the near future. Broadband access, especially wireless will mean that the normal state of affairs for a student will be to be online at a moment's notice. Ultimately the computer will be a constantly worn companion for a typical student. Demand for the service will increase. With physical goods becoming cheaper, and less labour-intensive, increasing emphasis on 'services' as a valuable labor commodity throughout the world will mean that higher and higher levels of education, with increased competition for places, will require improvements in learning efficiency that can only be brought about through the application of specialized study software to the problem. See also Computer-assisted language learning Flashcard Forgetting curve Free recall List of concept- and mind-mapping software List of flashcard software Memory Mind map Notetaking Spaced repetition Spacing effect References Burdess, N. (1998). Handbook of student skills. (2nd ed.). Sydney: Prentice Hall Farrand, P, Hussain, F, Hennessy, E (2002) "The efficacy of the 'mind map' study technique". Medical Education. 36 (issue5) p426- Glenberg A.M. (1977) "Influences or the retrieval processes on the spacing effect in free recall".