If you had seen me at work for the last two months you might have said, “What’s he smiling about?”  Well what I’ve been smiling about is adding cool new features to our program.

The most important and obvious feature that we have added is a dramatically different set of interactive instructions that replaces the video that you used to see when you clicked “Try It.”  In the old instruction video you had to watch and remember three minutes of tightly packed information and then remember how to apply it later.

It wasn’t always easy.

In the new interactive instructions, you learn one new thing and then try it.  I think it’s a LOT easier to understand than the old video version.  I’ve tried to make the new instructions just like sitting next to me having me show you how to use our program.

Faster Study = Faster Learning

We also think that we fixed the most common problem of students studying too slowly by adding what we call a “Speed Bar.”  The “Speed Bar” is a simple timer that reminds you to study quickly.  The faster you go through each study item, the better our program works.

How to Make the Timer Invisible

A few people have been so stressed by their previous learning experiences, that the timer brings back memories from old stressful learning experiences.  This is not what we want to happen.

We want you to feel as if the timer is the leader of your home team fan club cheering for you.  Remember that the “speed bar” won’t grade you, spank your bottom, or make you stand in the corner.

It just silently and gently reminds you to go as fast as you can.  Feel free to ignore it when you need more time on a particular item.  But use it when you can.  Believe me our program will work a LOT better when you go faster.

However if you are feeling stressed by the “Speed Bar” there is a very easy way to make it invisible.  You simply press and hold the ctrl key and briefly press the + key until you have zoomed in so the timer is invisible.

Read our article on how to make the text bigger on your browser for more details.

Invisible Quality

There are also some changes that you can’t see.  We’ve improved the algorithm that schedules when you need to review a particular study item.  This is a change that no one will ever see.

It’s sort of like when a car maker improves the quality of the steel in their car.  You can’t see this kind of quality improvement at first, but later it becomes very obvious.

Brent Van Arsdell