One of our goals is to make the entire Smart.fm service feel like an integrated learning experience, so we are trying to blur the line between the site and the “learning apps.”
Soon you will be able to land on a Goal page and jump right into an embedded learning experience. The apps will be embedded in the area right below the start button, so you don’t need to pop open a separate window. But you’ll also be able to view the apps in full-screen mode, much like you have now. In addition, you could embed the goal/app off-site in a re-sizable widget.
Instead of using Flash, the new apps are in javascript, which solves a lot of problems. Flash has problems displaying certain languages, so some languages you just can’t study now. With the new apps, the browser handles all display issues, so you won’t have any more problems.
Leaving Flash is also good news for all of you using small netbook computers. You can’t resize the current Flash pop-up applications, but the new apps will work on any sized screen.
Another major change is that the apps will no longer have open end-date and fixed-end date modes. We’ve known for a long time that the modes were way too complicated so we scrapped that whole idea. Now you just study, and if you want to set an end-date you can. If set, the end date will help you achieve your goal by that date, but you’re no longer going to be stopped studying if you don’t have any urgent items. The whole “big brother” thing (you don’t have any urgent items to study so go away) was never popular, so we got rid of it. The system will still recommend that you study something else instead of cramming, but if you want to keep on going, then go for it! We’re not going to get in your way. Letting you decide how you want to study is much better than forcing you decide between separate modes.
These are just a few of the macro changes that you’ll see. There’s a lot more that’s going to change, but the apps are still in early stages of development and a lot of different ideas are being thrown around.
Right now we’re gathering user feedback from a select group of alpha testers. After we incorporate some of their feedback, we’ll open up access to more users over the coming weeks. If you’re curious, you can see all the feedback that has been left so far at the Learning App Alpha Feedback forum on UserVoice. And if you don’t have access to the new apps yet, you’ll get your hands on them soon.
Sounds great! Moving from Flash to JavaScript is going to make a lot of difference. I’m especially looking forward to being able to study my lists with any internet-enabled device like my G1 (Android) phone.
When are these going to be live?
Thanks!
Words cannot express how much I love you guys for changing to javascript. This means that I can use the learning apps on my iPod Touch before the release of the iPhone app…!
DD I can’t wait! xD
I liked how goal-mode would only give you items that weren’t 100% completed. Will you be keeping this option and is that the implication of setting an end date? For certain lists I much prefer this, because it allows one to study new content without the monotony of constantly being drilled with long memorized items. This can get extremely tedious after a while. Of course, for other lists (core 6000 series for example), I would use “long-term” mode. All depends on the content.
russ, you guys have created a great Flash app and improved it again and again for a lot of people since iKnow! days. The current Flash one is perfect and has no points to condemn, except bugs of rendering some language characters. Of course I look forward to the next Javascript app, whereas I would be happy if you wouldn’t dump the Flash app. Yes, I love the current Flash app of iKnow! and dictation.
The new app is JavaScript? It sounds great. OK, but at the same time you can save Flash in the future. There is a famous Japanese word, it’s “もったいない” (mottainai), which means “A short-term use of things is a waste and take care of them.” Offer both the JavaScript option and the Flash option. Let me select what I want to learn with if possible.
The ten vote limit is a bit low when dealing with alpha. There are so many issues at this point that I very quickly ran out of votes. And, I haven’t exactly been profligate with them. I just voted stuff that was broken or I really did think was important (not cosmetic issues). If 10is a hard limit, how about returning votes for items that are “planned”.
Here are my votes so far on the alpha:
The large timer bar is a little distracting 1
add a pause button 1
Frequently interrupted by “you are done for today” boxes 1
loading problem 1
allow users to input how many items they want to study under review 2
allow users to input how many items they want to study under review 2
Sessions count wrong in iKnow after alpha study 1
Correct spelling marked incorrect 1
Tell us the rationale! 2
I am all out of votes so there seems to be little reason to continue to test the alpha if I can no longer post issues. There are some very interesting aspects to the new alpha, but I wonder if it might take a bit longer…
Thanks!
When is the site being relaunched?
I have just one question I keep forgetting to ask… It will keep track of what we’ve studied already, right? I wasn’t around for the previous major iKnow changes, so I’m just curious. Will completed items or percentages change at all? And I noticed in the alpha one of the new features is that the multiple choice is sometimes in kanji, which is really awesome, by the way.
Yeah, I’d love to be able to do my lists on my iPhone while waiting on the native app.
@elsiemarley your study progress on each individual item will remain the same. This is really the one of the core principles of the smart.fm application and something that we value highly, tracking your progress across items.
We are not changing the way we calculate your progress on items so your items studied/completed totals will be unaffected by the renewal. We will be making visual improvements to the way we display your progress on your profile and home page.
@ted.oneill I will return your votes for features we have implemented for the next version of the app.
Thanks for the votes back @simon! Much appreciated and I’ll try to put them to good use.
Sounds good! I was actually using a netbook over the weekend, and was somewhat frustrated with the inability to resize the screen
Looking forward to all the new stuff!
Small update: we increased the number of votes on the Learning Apps from 10 to 20 to give everyone more room to share ideas.