Memorizing critical facts about Drupal development in order to prepare for certification can be made easier using a technique called spaced repetition via a tool called Anki. We can also boost our ability to create study material with Claude, in order to quickly transform our study material into flash cards. As a result, we have a science-backed method for study which has been long used by medical students, language learners, and anyone facing high-volume memorization. The software is mostly free (the iOS Anki app is paid) and the results will enhance your study routine for years to come. Let’s dive in.
Prerequisites:
- Anki installed
- Collection of study notes
- Access to Claude (substitute another LLM if needed)
From Drupal Notes to Anki Cards: Prompting Claude
The technique of using spaced repetition to efficiently store facts in our gray matter has been known by medical students for some time. We can borrow this technique in the Drupal development world to sharpen our understanding and prepare for certification testing. First, provide Claude (or your favorite LLM) with your study material and ask it to create structured study card data. This intermediate step will create a small file which Anki can import. It’s surprisingly easy to do.
Anki imports plain text files with a configurable separator containing the text for the front and back of each card. Claude is smart enough that we can simply point it at Anki’s documentation which defines the required file format, and expect that the result will be in that format. If you are using another LLM which doesn’t have that capability you can also include the rules from Anki’s documentation in your prompt. If you’re using Claude, include in the prompt a link to the Anki docs on format.
https://docs.ankiweb.net/importing/text-files.html
Point out that we are students of Drupal and looking to create study cards based on the material. Add detail here about the level of difficulty each card should have, and how complex you want the answers to be. We can always go back and refine our prompt, so start with a practical first version and download the resulting CSV file.
You are helping to create Anki flashcards. Generate the card data from the notes included below. The output will be in a CSV format that Anki can import.
Rules:
One card per line.
Two fields per line separated by a semicolon (;) - the front and back of the card.
Wrap both fields in double quotes so commas or semicolons inside the text don't break the import.
You may use simple HTML in answers, ex. ... for commands.
No header row.
Notes:
(Paste your study notes here)
"What does HTML stand for?";"HyperText Markup Language. It provides the structure of a web page."
"What command do you use to clear Drupal's cache with Drush?";"drush cache:rebuild (or its alias drush cr)."
Build Your First Anki Deck from a CSV
Now that you have the CSV file with the study card data, you can easily import it into an Anki 'deck,' which is a collection of cards. From the File menu, select Import and choose the CSV file you just created. In the import dialog, set the field separator to a semicolon and turn on 'HTML in fields.' If Claude did its job right, the CSV document should be properly formatted and imported without error.
If you run into errors on import, you may need to manually review the Anki documentation about importing text files and provide some clarifying comments in your prompt. By comparing the output with the documentation you should be able to determine where Claude is failing to understand the syntax. In our testing, the LLM technology is capable of understanding the format just by providing a link to the Anki documentation.
Spaced Repetition: How Anki Schedules Your Reviews
Memories decay on a predictable curve. Spaced repetition exploits this curve by scheduling each review for the time when forgetting is about to occur. By reviewing the material at certain scientifically determined intervals, we can strengthen the connections in an optimal way. This all sounds very complicated and it is exactly why we let Anki do the work for us.
The interface for Anki will present the front of a flash card to you. You can answer the question to yourself out loud, in your notes or just in your head. Once you have formulated a response to the card’s question, you click the button to reveal the card’s answer.
The magic comes when you hit the ‘show answer’ button. The card’s answer is revealed and now you self-grade how difficult the process was. A series of buttons lets you choose how difficult the question was to answer. Your answer of ‘Hard’, ‘Good’, ‘Easy’, or ‘Again’ will determine how long Anki will wait before displaying that card again. ‘Again’ simply means you couldn’t recall the contents accurately and need to repeat that card.
The Algorithm Has Your Back
The buttons are your half of the conversation: you tell Anki how well you knew a card, and it handles the math of when to show it next. This means that Anki tracks your familiarity with the material on each card and uses its algorithm to present it to you again at the time most likely to help you cement it into your memory. Thanks Anki!
Building this study practice into a routine is beyond the scope of this blog post, but it should be clear to see how valuable this study method is. With about 15 minutes of preparation work you can build a study deck that can be used for weeks, or months, to prepare for your certification. Spend fifteen minutes today and you've built something that pays you back for months: a study partner that knows exactly what you're about to forget, and reminds you right on time.
