One of the biggest challenges of studying is memorizing difficult concepts. Reading them two or three times may not be enough to etch them into your brain. You need a more efficient learning system, and that’s where the Leitner system comes into play.
This article will explain how it works, what makes the technique so effective, and show you how you can apply it to your own studies.
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What is the Leitner System?
The Leitner system is a learning technique that involves using flashcards to improve your memorization. It also features the well-known Leitner system schedule that prioritizes items that warrant review.
This system is one of the first learning methods to leverage spaced repetition. Sebastian Leitner developed it nearly 40 years ago, but unlike many other 20th-century techniques, it hasn’t become obsolete.
On the contrary, overwhelming evidence shows that the Leitner system is one of the most effective learning approaches around today. It doesn’t force students to cram all their material in one go. Instead, it encourages students to space their studying out.
The Leitner system also relies on the active recall study method. By reading what is written on each flashcard, students stimulate their memory and adopt new concepts more easily.
By actively answering questions and recalling information, it becomes simpler to access the data stored within your memory over longer periods.
Overall, these are the main reasons why you should adopt this system:
- It facilitates active recall of concepts to facilitate exam learning.
- The Leitner system promotes spaced repetition, which is more straightforward than cramming new content all at once.
- This technique helps students pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, enabling them to study smarter and effectively revise for exams.
- It consumes less time and ensures optimal efficiency. This is especially important in theoretical subjects, such as history, political science, and business studies.
How to Use the Leitner System
As previously mentioned, the Leitner system is relatively simple. Here’s what you’ll need to do to get started:
- Create physical or electronic flashcards, allocating one card to each concept.
- Label between three and five physical or electronic boxes with preferred time periods. For example
- Box 1: Daily Review
- Box 2: Review Every Other Day
- Box 3: Weekly Review
- Add study times to a calendar to facilitate organization.
All your flashcards will begin from the first box. As you answer each card’s questions correctly, move it into the second box. If you fail to provide the correct answers, return the flashcard to the first box, and follow this approach for all other items.
Once this round ends, some of your concepts may remain in the first box. This means they’re slightly harder and require more frequent attention. By contrast, the cards you moved to the second box contain items you’re more familiar with, and you don’t have to revisit them very often.
After finishing your learning for the day, see which concepts require more attention and which ones only need to be revisited once a week. Take this approach on all study days until you move all your flashcards to the third box. If you forget some of the concepts in the third box when the next week starts, move them to the second box.
Depending on your labels and study calendar, you may prefer studying just one box on specific days and several boxes on others. Choose what works best, and you should be able to memorize new information much more quickly.
Putting the Leitner System into Practice
Adopting the Leitner system can be massively beneficial to your study goals. It lets you master complicated concepts faster and memorize a large number of items without excessive brain fatigue.
The technique can work in any field, so there’s no reason to postpone studying new subjects because they seem too daunting. Browse the Coursary site to find an interesting course and use the Leitner system to help you complete it much quicker.