Welcome, iPhone and iPad App Users!

How to Use Brainscape

Library

The typical study session begins at the Library screen. There, you see a list of all subjects that you “own”, with a summary of the Mastery and the proportion of cards studied for each deck. Your Mastery is equal to a weighted average of your confidence in all items in the respective deck.

You can easily launch a study session by drilling into a subject and selecting a deck. You can also create a study session that pulls flashcards from many different decks, by clicking the Random Mix or Progressive Study button, depending on the subject area. If there are any subjects or decks that you wish to permanently remove from your device, simply click the Edit button and select which rows you would like to remove.

Studying

I. Displaying an Answer
When a new card is generated by Brainscape, you are asked to think of the answer and then to reveal it by flipping the card. This mental activity is more effective than selecting from among multiple choices because you are actively recalling the information rather than simply recognizing it. It is also more effective than manually typing in an answer because it is faster and allows you to see more questions in less time.

To reveal the answer, simply tap on the “Tap here to see answer” button below the card, and the card will flip to the Answer side. You can always tell which side of the card you’re on by looking at the Q or the A in the top-right. You may also flip back-and-forth between the Q and A as often as you’d like.

II. Rating your Confidence
Once Brainscape has shown you the correct answer, you are asked to rate your likelihood of remembering it forever by tapping a button 1-5, where 1 represents “no confidence” and 5 represents “perfect confidence.” The buttons are color-coded from red to blue, representing the strength of your memory trace. Your confidence selection immediately changes the color of the current card before it is wiped away to reveal the next card.

As you proceed through cards, Brainscape determines which cards to show you based on the confidence levels that you have reported. Lower confidence cards (e.g. 1s and 2s) will be seen very frequently, while higher confidence cards (e.g. 4s and 5s) are seen very infrequently. When Brainscape shows you a card that you have already seen, it will be displayed in the color that you rated it last time, and you are asked to rate your confidence again. It may take several views before you feel confident enough to rate a card a 5.

III. Navigating Between Cards
The only way to proceed to the next card in Brainscape’s study mode is to rate your confidence in the current card. This is necessary because without a confidence rating, Brainscape will not know when to show you the card again. That said, you can always go back to the previous card by selecting Previous Card from the menu options, and you can rate this previous card’s confidence again.

You may also search for cards in a deck by selecting “search” from the study menu options, then typing in a keyword for the card you are looking for. A list of card names will be brought up in the search results, and you can tap on any card to see it and rate your confidence in it. You will then be brought back to the search results screen.

IV. Deleting Cards
If you ever see a card that you never want to see again – because it is irrelevant, wrong, or otherwise uninteresting – you may delete it by selecting Delete Card from the study menu options. You will be prompted with a warning that the deleting is permanent. You will not be able to retrieve the card once you have removed it from your device.

V. Tracking Your Progress
During a study session, you can keep track of how you are doing by keeping an eye on the “Mastery” bar. Your Mastery is a weighted average of your confidence in all the cards in your current deck or study mix. If your confidence in every card is a 5, then your Mastery is 100%. The “studied” counter shows you how many cards in the current study mix you have ever seen. You can also tap on the Mastery bar to see a graph of exactly how many cards are in each confidence bucket. Your goal is to gradually move all cards to a confidence level of 5.

VI. Completing a Study Session
In Brainscape, you are never “finished.” You simply decide when you have seen enough cards in the current study session. YOU are the best judge of how much to study in a given sitting. There is no rush to rate every card a 5 unless you are perfectly confident that you will remember them forever, so please take your time and be honest with yourself.

To exit a study session, simply tap the Done button.

Statistics

Your stats screen shows you the progress and confidence breakdown for a given subject area. There are two ways that you can access statistics:

1. Tapping the Stats button on the main menu bar — This shows you statistics across all items in your entire library
2. Tapping the Mastery bar during study - This shows you current statistics for your current study mix (i.e. either a deck, a whole category, or your entire library). Both of the statistics screens have a similar format. They show you a breakdown of how many cards exist in each of the confidence buckets (0 - Not studied, 1 - Don't Know, . . . 5 - Mastered), and they show you some aggregate statistics about the respective flashcard pool. Remember that the Mastery statistic is equal to a weighted average of your confidence in all flashcards in the pool.

Technical Requirements & Issues

What version of the iPhone / iPod / iPad Operating System (OS) do I need to use Brainscape?
While Brainscape apps may work on old operating systems, the short answer is that you should always have the latest version to ensure optimal performance. To check for OS updates, connect your device to your computer, open iTunes, check the "Summary" tab for your device, and click "Check for Updates." This should ideally be done before trying to install Brainscape in the first place.

How much memory does the Brainscape app take up?
This depends on the number of flashcards and the use of multimedia such as images and sounds. While most Brainscape apps should be downloadable over the normal mobile network, some may require a wifi or cable connection to download. Few Brainscape apps should be so large that they will significantly affect the amount of space available on your device.

Do I need to select any special settings on my device for Brainscape to run correctly?
No. Unless you are using an app that requires internet connection or uses regular push/pull networking functionality, you should be able to use Brainscape no matter what your settings.

Do I need to be connected to the internet or wifi to use Brainscape?
No. Once you have installed Brainscape, you can use it even when you do not have a connection. However, some future versions will involve some web functionality, where you can reference live web pages or even synchronize with flashcards you have created or studied online.

Why is my app crashing?
Sorry about that! Although we rigorously test all our apps before release, there can occasionally be a problem with installation that affects memory management on the device. Try resetting your device or even deleting and re-installing if the problem persists. You can always contact us if you have uncovered a problem that is truly unique.

How do I get updates to my Brainscape app?
Brainscape apps are updated just like any other app. Simply click on the Brainscape app in your iTunes "updates" alerts section, and then click "Update."

More Information

If you have more specific questions or would like to provide feedback, please check out our contact page to direct you to the right resource.