Slideshow and Test mode

Slideshow and Test mode

Postby ltheden » Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:22 am

I really like to you your app to study Chinese. I like to turn the slideshow on, then quiz myself by reading the Pinyin (side 2) or English (side 3), then writing the Chinese character for it. Thsi however isn't practical, since it also show the answer. I think that a strength of this app is the spaced repitition and Leitner modes. But, when you use the slideshow mode, you lose those features.

So, what I am asking then is for a feature. A test mode. The app would display only one side of each card (and play a sound if there is one), wait a moment, then move on. While the card is on-screen you could physically write your answer on a seperate sheet of paper. (I know there is a screen input mode, but I feel that it just doesn't "feel right" for writing.) At the end of the set, the app could give you a list of the cards you were quized on. A list is important because you can quickly check your written answers against the ones on-screen. Then you could gesture a swipe on each word to mark it correct/incorrect or have a check box. Finally, the app will grade you and move on to another set, just like in Leitner mode.

I don't know if that is a lot to ask, but I think that it would really make a great feature.

Thanks!
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Re: Slideshow and Test mode

Postby Ernie » Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:35 am

"This however isn't practical, since it also show the answer"... I'm not sure what you mean here. You can map your cards (Card Layout in app) anyway you want, so you could show English on side 1 (question) and Pinyin+Hanzi on back (answer). I guess you don't want to see the answer, but is it a big deal since you already wrote the answer on your paper?

It sounds like you want to keep Leitner on. You tap a deck and the app shows you 10 cards that are due to be practiced. The normal routine would be to see the question, you draw the answer (on paper), tap the screen to see the answer, then grade yourself and move on to the next card.

Assume you want it to move along automatically. At the first card, put it in browse mode and play. You'll see the question for X seconds and you draw your answer. You can't "skip" a side in a slideshow, but you can set the back to 1 second and have it move to the next card quickly. Now you get to the end on the slideshow stops (either automatically with the proper setting or you stop it). You are back at the 1st card. Turn browse mode off and go through each of the 10 cards again, checking your answer and responding with correct/wrong appropriately for all cards. How is this different that what you proposed? The only difference I see would be you might want to hide the back side in a slideshow (~0 sec delay), which is a feature I might add as others have asked about this.

Ernie
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Re: Slideshow and Test mode

Postby Guest » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:16 pm

I don't like the idea of manually advancing the card. Letting the slides advance on their own allows you to keep yourself focused on the test, instead of your device.

Doing the slideshow without showing the second (or third) side is exactly was I was trying to explain. But I just think that its troublesome to go through all the cards again just to check the answers, which is where I thought a list would be nice.

In any case, allowing the slideshow to completely skip showing the "answer side", then going though the cards again to grade answers isn't ideal (in my mind)....but it would be great to have anyway, since the end result is the same.

Thanks!
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Re: Slideshow and Test mode

Postby Ernie » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:24 pm

This app already has some functionality that may work for you... card layouts.

Here's what I was thinking. Create two card layouts: "Question Only" and "All Sides on Front". Each would be a one sided card. Put in browse mode, change layout to "Question Only" and go through deck. Back at the first card, turn off browse, change layout to "All Sides on Front", and you can answer each card (without having to flip the card to see the answer).

What do you think?
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Re: Slideshow and Test mode

Postby ltheden » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:32 pm

I think what I am trying to say, is that for the most part, the app can do what I am trying to explain....its just not easy/convient to do, so just another mode that wraps up all the manual flipping of settings together would be a real time saver. Because honestly, I can't see myself going through all the trouble too often.

It works. But I just think that its too much work to do often, know what I mean?

...(good idea though!...never knew about the card layouts)
ltheden
 
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Re: Slideshow and Test mode

Postby Ernie » Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:34 pm

Understand... and agree that it would be inconvenient. I don't see this "test mode" of yours happening anytime soon though. Sorry. I think multiple choice (with some associated "games") would be more beneficial to more people. But I have made a note of the idea and maybe I can think of a quick adjustment that might help.
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