Hey everyone! I'm working on a study tracker tool that helps users track not just the time they spend studying but also what they're learning. Right now, I'm using a simple 1–5 scale to rate knowledge in different topics, but it feels a bit restrictive. I'm considering expanding it to a 1–100 scale or perhaps even implementing a more sophisticated system that mimics knowledge decay over time, similar to spaced repetition methods. My goal is to encourage people to reflect on their understanding of topics, the time invested, and visualize their progress over time. What do you think would work best? Would you prefer a simple scale, a system that tracks review time and adjusts your score, or something entirely different? Let me know your thoughts!
4 Answers
A great way to gauge your knowledge is if you can explain the concepts clearly to someone without a technical background. That method is known as the Feynman Technique!
For me, I rate my knowledge based on how well I can explain a topic. I also like having definitions for key terms that I update as I learn more. The idea of tracking the time since last review sounds really interesting, though! It seems like the more familiar you are with something, the less often you need to revisit it.
I tackle the exercises from each chapter, and if I can solve 90% or more, I feel confident to move on. For the tougher questions, I bookmark them for later review (using spaced repetition). As long as my learning resources are high-quality, they usually have good questions to test my understanding after each section. I also jot down my own questions for review—long ones go into a text editor like Obsidian, while short ones go on flashcards with Anki. This approach works for everything I learn, not just computer science!
I think a 1–10 scale would be sufficient! Going beyond that might just complicate things when you're trying to analyze your data later. Most surveys stick to around five options for a reason; it keeps things simple!
Good point. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! I agree, tracking knowledge in an elegant way would be cool. I'll definitely explore the knowledge-decay feature!