Research & Effectiveness

Science-backed evidence for smarter learning

Evidence-Based Learning

Grafoxi isn't built on guesswork or trends—it's built on decades of cognitive science research and cutting-edge machine learning. Every feature, from the FSRS algorithm to the flashcard design, is grounded in scientific evidence about how humans learn and remember.

📚 The Science of Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is one of the most well-researched learning techniques in cognitive psychology. Studies consistently show it can:

  • Increase retention rates by 200% compared to massed practice (cramming)
  • Reduce study time by 30-50% while achieving the same learning outcomes
  • Transfer information to long-term memory more effectively than any other technique
  • Maintain knowledge for years with minimal review

This isn't new science—spaced repetition has been studied since the 1880s, starting with Hermann Ebbinghaus's groundbreaking work on the forgetting curve.

Foundational Research

📄 Ebbinghaus (1885)

"Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology"

The foundational work that discovered the forgetting curve and established that information is forgotten exponentially over time without reinforcement. This research laid the groundwork for all modern spaced repetition systems.

📄 Cepeda et al. (2006)

"Distributed Practice in Verbal Recall Tasks: A Review and Quantitative Synthesis"

A comprehensive meta-analysis of 317 experiments showing that spaced practice consistently outperforms massed practice across all types of learning materials and retention intervals.

📄 Karpicke & Roediger (2008)

"The Critical Importance of Retrieval for Learning" (Science)

Published in one of the world's top scientific journals, this study proved that active recall (testing yourself) is far more effective than passive review for long-term retention.

📄 Dunlosky et al. (2013)

"Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques"

After reviewing hundreds of studies, researchers rated spaced practice and practice testing (flashcards) as the two most effective learning techniques, giving both the highest rating of "high utility."

🔬 FSRS Algorithm Research

The FSRS algorithm used in Grafoxi is backed by peer-reviewed academic research:

📄 "A Stochastic Shortest Path Algorithm for Optimizing Spaced Repetition Scheduling"

Published: Proceedings of the 28th ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (2022)

This paper presents the mathematical foundation of FSRS, demonstrating how machine learning can optimize review scheduling to minimize study time while maximizing retention.

📄 "Optimizing Spaced Repetition Schedule by Capturing the Dynamics of Memory"

Published: IEEE Journals & Magazine

This research explains how FSRS models memory dynamics using the DSR (Difficulty, Stability, Retrievability) framework, allowing for more accurate predictions of when you'll forget information.

Real-World Performance

Beyond academic research, FSRS has been tested with millions of real flashcard reviews:

20-30%

Fewer Reviews

Compared to older algorithms like SM-2, while maintaining the same retention rate

90%+

Retention Rate

Typical retention achieved with FSRS's optimized scheduling

100K+

Active Users

Across Anki, RemNote, and other platforms using FSRS

💡 What This Means for You

When you use Grafoxi, you're not just using another flashcard app—you're leveraging:

  • 140+ years of cognitive science research on how memory works
  • Cutting-edge machine learning that adapts to your unique brain
  • Peer-reviewed algorithms tested on millions of real reviews
  • Proven techniques that consistently outperform traditional study methods

The result? You learn faster, remember longer, and waste less time on ineffective study techniques.

Want to Learn More?

For those interested in diving deeper into the research:

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