New learning/reviewing algorithm implemented? Why?!

Since yesterday, there’s new, very annoying algorithm:

  1. When learning new words, when I get an answer wrong, I can still learn the word by multiple choice. Before the change, the word was skipped, presented at the very end of the learning session as a typing question, and then moved onto the next learning session. That made sense because with a difficult word the word was moved until I finally got it. Now, with the multiple choice, it’s actually very easy to pretend that I’ve learnt it, which in fact I haven’t.

  2. When reviewing words, when I get an answer wrong, the same word is prompter 2-3 times in a moment and at the very end of the reviewing, but only as a multiple choice. Before the change, there was also a typing answer, the only practical way to really learn it. Multiple choice makes is very difficult to actually learn a word, especially if it’s long or tricky.

Are those changes intentional? Why were they implemented?!

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Just use cooljingle’s script for all typing.

I agree. I don’t like multiple choice anyway because I often hit the wrong numbers even when I know the correct answer. It would be nice to have an option in the user settings to choose typing or multiple choice, or a combination of both.

BTW it is the “all typing” script what @michael_z is looking for.

Make sure you turn on the 2nd option “typing incorrect answers” in the script settings on the left panel.

I noticed this too! But I thought I was going crazy.

This new algorithm really DOESN’T help me learn. I like it that when I got something wrong in a review i would have to go over it 2-3 times. I don’t feel I’m learning with just the one review.

100% agree with michael, Devs, please change this back!

  1. I agree that the last question of the 6 steps should be the typing one question.

I also had seen it, that typing is mixed in the middle of the steps and suddenly the last (6th) question is multiple-choice but NOT typing.
Makes no sense at all!!!

  1. I think for the learning mode / flower planting some mix of typing, audio and multiple-choice or tapping is nice.

I also like that I get a few multiple-choice questions BEFORE the last 6th question and that the 1st typing question is not only the LAST but usually is thrown in between 2nd/3rd and 4th question.

I think the best thing would be, to stick to “all typing” (and audio) and omit multiple-choice, once you have got that typing question right.
Even audio questions (type what you hear) are sometimes too simple to count as step X, aren’t they?

If you got the “typing question” wrong, it IMHO sometimes helps to stick to multiple-choice/audio/tapping for a while (2-3 questions), and being presented again with typing on the LAST (6h) question.

If the 3rd/4th question is typing and you get it wrong, it is hard to jump to the very end and just throw in the typing question.
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Actually it depends on the difficult of the word, and if it is a phrase or longer sentence or shorter/longer single word if you can RECALL it (typing tests about RECALLING, not remembering).
ONE concept is not always right for ALL cases.


The longer the spacing in the question queue ordering, the more is the chance that you will have (again) forgotten the word until you reached the end of the question queue, where the questions are re-ordered from the incorrect (typing) answers.

The same is for moving un-learned words to next learning sessions, which Coojingle’s script was trying to prevent (as you usually start from scratch / not knowing the words for the rest of the steps in 4h / 12/ 24h hours).
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You might want to check Cooljingle’s thread about his user script “Memrise learning retries” where we started some discussions how to quickly go through the six planting steps, when to re-display questions from incorrect answers, when to put the same question next (x+1), x+3, or last in the queue.

I believe it should be done depending on an error count and how many flower steps have already been processed.

And I am somehow still missing a new “skip until next session” button for the more difficult words/phrases when I neither get a) multiple-choice b) audio c) typing questions and d) repeating retry-questions right all the time.

Sometimes x+1 would be okay (too simple), but x+3 or x+6 (too hard, easy to forget / not remember) is just too much…

And I hate being “hammered” with the same word again and over again even I know that I can not fully plant it in in the current learning session.
As already described this technique might work for other words/phrases/sentences…


BTW: I have an edit window with a longer written text open since ages for this thread and related 2-3 postings before…but still have not pressed the submit button or corrected my text for the final version.

I kinda still hate that the later versions of Cooljingle’s script use the very next question to test on re-retries (review mem screen and x+1 = double questioning) and not applying at least a custom x+3, x+4, x+6 (end of queue) algorithm and also care for a “retry error count”.

Why have I not submitted my text the past weeks?
Well, I do believe that ideas and variations like that can’t be really discussed in a forum post by post, but needs to be discussed for some transparent brainstormed points more interactive by phone/video call/interactive chat…

It could be another stupid A/B test. Looks like Memrise is going the route of Duolingo i.e. “Completely ignore the community and instead base all decisions on A/B tests that no one is informed about and large amounts of people often disagree with the outcome of”.

I don’t have the impression I get only multiple choice is this kind of situation. Anyhow, this is a change that was required often in the old fora. I prefer it this way, instead of having items pushed into a next learning session…

i think the new way is better
what you’re actually asking, is a more difficult system, but i don’t think that would make the learning better
if you want a more difficult system, you can augment the amount of words for learning and review sessions, like i did: 10 for learning, 100 for review

Yes, it is more difficult this way, but is what I find to be really learning.

More importantly: It’s not about the amount of words per review, but about the review strategy for words that I get wrong.

If you got a word wrong, you used to have to type it out in full, and more than once, because within the same session you are prompted a few more times.

Like @michael_z, what I am experiencing now is that I only have to type it once, immediately after I got it wrong (where they also tell you what the correct answer is).

After that, all I get is one round of multiple choice to select the correct answer.

This new algorithm for the desktop app has been around in the mobile app for the longest time (where there is only 1 prompt per session after getting something wrong), and is why I have stopped using the mobile app and instead opted for the desktop version.

Especially when you learn a language with a different script, like Greek, I have found the extra repetitions absolutely essential to getting the spelling down.

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what i find to be definitely a step back is the fact that “levels” links to the main page of the course now. In long courses, scrolling again and again is a waste of time and energy

disimprovements also: the change in the behaviour of the “see answer” button, also that “pause” and “turn off audio review for 30 min” don’t really function

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the amount of points to the next level is difficult to read because they don’t use seperators anymore
you get numbers like 5167859

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