It is scientifically proven that it is necessary to stimulate and activate our brain not only in childhood and youth but also as adults and seniors. Lifelong learning is not only a topic for students and employees. In reality, we are confronted with learning in all areas of our lives.
MemoryLifter is a free scientific memorization tool based upon the work of Ebbinghaus and Leitner. It is easy to use and makes learning fun. We are convinced you will find MemoryLifter useful.
Sebastian Leitner was a European psychologist who conceived the box system (also called "Leitner system") in the 1960s. Its purpose is to provide a structure for people to learn and retain vocabulary in short-term and long-term memory.

The box system is comprised of a set of boxes (10 in the case of MemoryLifter), each containing a certain number of flashcards. This amount rises proportionally with the box's number. Also, the higher the box number, the nearer are the respective cards in the long-term memory.

Thus, at any time the quantity of flashcards inside each box level provides a quick feedback of the current state of the user's knowledge, and the memory retention (short-term and/or long-term).

Leitner’s Cardbox and MemoryLifter have several natural advantages:

• Lift information into your Long Term Memory - MemoryLifter is designed to lift things into the Long Term MEMORY by controlled repetition and spacing.
• Speed up your memorization process – By using the Box System MemoryLifter enables you to speed up your learning process.
• Immediate Feedback – Responses are checked at once so the user knows immediately if the answer is right or wrong. This removes the problems in encoding when results are not known for some time such as with graded tests.
• The Cardbox System is Incorruptible – Self deception is minimized since the program classifies the flashcards according to the users responses. Of course the responses can be rigged so that the system is defeated but even in doing that you will learn in spite of yourself.
• Visible Progress – Progress is shown by the flashcard positions themselves so it is readily apparent.
• Learn What You Want, When You Want – Learn facts or trivia associated with a hobby, profession, or any area of interest.
• No Peer Pressure – Image problems often creep into the learning experience. Comparing your learning experience to others or to some imagined standard can often make learning more difficult. A MemoryLifter user progresses at his own pace being able to concentrate only on the learning experience with out competitive pressures.
• Various Mnemonic Techniques Supported – MemoryLifter supports various multimedia like images, sounds, videos and more on each card which gives support for almost any type of mnemonic approach you want to use.

'Traditional' educational flashcards are made of cardboard and are used for verbatim memorization/learning of facts, information and vocabulary. The flash card typically contains a short, direct question with a short, definite answer. The question is displayed on the front of the card, and the answer on the back.

The cards in MemoryLifter are patterned after the learning flash card where the question and answer is stored on the front and back of the card. However, MemoryLifter allows additional data which can be example sentences, sounds, video and/or an image to enhance the learning experience.

Thus, each box section represents a level of proficiency. This allows you to set your own priorities, investing more time into the 'lowest' boxes (which contain the most difficult question cards for you). With some effort on your part, each flashcard climbs to the last box section in time. MemoryLifter ensures that each card is learned in the time that your brain is ready for the encoding to take place.

Below you can find a short step-by-step description of the concept of MemoryLifter:

1. Initially, all cards are derived from the Pool, which contains all cards available.
2. MemoryLifter checks whether any of the boxes are full. If so, it asks you for a card from that box. If none of the boxes are full, it places a new card from the pool in the first box and asks it.
3. If the card is answered correctly, it is promoted to the next box; otherwise, it is demoted to box 1.
4. When placing a card in a box, it is put at the end. When asking a card from the box, it is asked in the order it was placed in the box (first in - first out principle).
5. MemoryLifter continues with steps 2 - 4 until done.
   
   

For further information we can recommend to read Leitners work "So lernt man lernen" where he documents the use of his 'cardbox' or 'cardfile' system. Unfortunately, it is only available in German.

MemoryLifter does not manipulate presentation of the materials to be memorized in the sensory memory. MemoryLifter does support the use of Multiple Media formats to assist in remembering something. MemoryLifter is designed to assist in moving things into the Long Term MEMORY much as skills are learned through practice.

Consistent Periodic use of the MemoryLifter will make an almost automatic improvement in your ability to memorize things. While every one is different our research has indicated a 20 minute a day time period repeated at roughly the same time every day will make such great improvements in your ability to memorize large vocabularies and such that you will adopt MemoryLifter as a permanent learning tool.