Are spaced flashcards effective for learning? Several apps and sites offer flashcard-based learning that repeat the cards you do poorly on over a period of time (the more inaccurate the answer the closer to each other the repetitions are). One example of this is Super Memo.


Is there rigorous empirical support for these types of flashcard systems working?
Do they exploit a known function of memory?
There's lots of research out there on flash cards and they are a proven, effective study aid.

Flash Cards work because of the "Forgetting Curve"; rehearsal and retrieval before you forget an item strengthens the memory before it decays allowing one to optimize encoding into LTM.



The paper Optimising learning using flashcards: Spacing is more effective than cramming is a good summary of why Spacing helps retention, highlighting why it's effective in education and should be emphasized over cramming, which current educational models (finals, tests) currently promote.

Spacing is effective for Long Term Memory as opposed to cramming/massing which is only effective (but it IS effective) in the short term as shown by the above forgetting function.