USER GUIDE
A focused 10–15 minutes a day is the whole commitment — done consistently, it's how KIALS helps you remember what you learn when it matters, whether that's an exam, a certification, or a high-stakes moment. Here's how to get the most from it.
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THE FOUNDATION
Spaced repetition only works when the intervals are honored. Daily sessions of 10–15 minutes dramatically outperform longer, less-frequent ones. The spacing matters more than the duration. Consistency is your highest-leverage behavior.
Cepeda et al. (2006) — distributed practice consistently outperforms massed practice³Typing an answer — even an incorrect one — activates the retrieval process. Passive reading or clicking through doesn't. The effort of retrieval is what builds the memory trace. This is why KIALS uses fill-in-the-blank, not multiple choice.
Roediger & Karpicke (2006) — retrieval effort directly predicts long-term retention⁴Sessions are calibrated to end at the right point. Stopping early disrupts the spaced intervals and leaves weak items unscheduled. Let the platform determine when you're done — it ends the session automatically when no more items are due.
KIALS adaptive scheduling — optimized per-learnerThe dashboard shows you exactly what you know and don't know. Reviewing it regularly builds metacognitive awareness — and that awareness itself improves performance. Know your weak spots before your exam does.
KIALS real-time learning analytics — learners and instructors see the same dataPartial completion produces partial retention. Programs you complete fully drive material into long-term memory far more durably than ones left unfinished. A completed short program beats an abandoned long one — every time. That's how you reach Mastery: the point where you can recall every item without error.
KIALS program design — mastery-based completion standardGO DEEPER
Quick Reference — Do This. Not That.Six behaviors that maximize — and six that destroy — retention
Before You UploadRetain what matters most. Recall it when it matters most.
The course is only as good as the document behind it, and what you finish matters more than what you upload — here's how to size it right.
KIALS can turn a whole textbook into questions. Your memory can't absorb a whole textbook in a month. Cramming works for a test on Friday — but most of what you cram is gone in weeks. That's the forgetting curve, and it's been documented since the 1880s: without review, memory of new material drops steeply within days.
KIALS is built to beat that curve — each question returns, spaced across 30 days, until you've recalled it 3, 4, or 5 times. That schedule is what moves material into long-term memory. But it only works at a pace your brain can keep: one lesson, about a month.
Upload what matters most, so you can recall it when it matters most.
"Cardiac pharmacology" is a course. "All of pharmacology" is a curriculum — split it first. KIALS organizes your upload into modules (like chapters in a book) and lessons (like sections in a chapter). A course built on one topic is a course you'll finish.
A lesson holds 40–60 questions and takes 10–15 minutes a day for about 30 days to complete. Every lesson adds about a month:
| 3–6 pages | 1 lesson · ~1 month | Ideal |
| 7–12 pages | 2 lessons · ~2 months | Great |
| 13–20 pages | 3–4 lessons · ~3–4 months | Good |
| 21+ pages | 5+ lessons · 5+ months | Split it |
| 10–20 slides | 1 lesson · ~1 month | Ideal |
| 21–40 slides | 2 lessons · ~2 months | Great |
| 41–70 slides | 3–4 lessons · ~3–4 months | Good |
| 70+ slides | 5+ lessons · 5+ months | Split it |
The month, in numbers: each question returns until you've recalled it correctly 3, 4, or 5 times — your Retention Goal (Speed, Balanced, or Mastery) — spaced across 30 days. A 10–15-minute daily session covers about one lesson on that schedule.
Complete this course first — what you've learned makes the next one easier. Starting a second course before finishing the first splits your review time, and splitting review is how the forgetting curve wins. Large document? Don't upload the whole book. Split it by topic and start with the part you need most — you can build the next course from the rest anytime.
What to Expect — Your First 30 DaysSessions start long, get dramatically shorter
New content floods the queue. Sessions typically run 60–90 minutes. This is normal. The system is establishing your baseline — what you know, what you don't, and what needs more repetitions.
Sessions drop to 20–40 minutes as the system learns your pattern. You'll notice items becoming familiar — that recognition is early-stage retention forming. Many users find themselves losing track of time.
Sessions are typically under 20 minutes per day. Items that were once difficult now feel automatic. This is long-term memory consolidation in action. The system continues monitoring for items starting to fade.
Sessions are often under 15 minutes. Items at Mastery are retired. You now know this material with the confidence that holds under pressure — in an exam room, a client meeting, or a high-stakes decision.
Step-by-Step Guides — For Learners & For Instructors
Frequently Asked QuestionsKIALS offers a free 30-day trial with full platform access — no credit card required. After the trial, individual plans are $20/month. Organizations and institutions can contact us at support@kials.com for volume pricing and enterprise licensing.
Session length decreases significantly over time. In the first few days, expect 60–90 minutes as new content fills the queue. By Days 6–10, sessions are typically 15–30 minutes. After Day 10, most sessions are under 15 minutes. The system ends your session automatically when no more items are scheduled for that day.
Missing a day will result in more items appearing in your next session. Occasional gaps are manageable, but missing multiple consecutive days can slow progress. If you miss more than three days, expect a longer session to re-establish your baseline.
No — KIALS complements and amplifies classroom instruction. It handles what traditional instruction cannot: ensuring foundational knowledge is retained over time. Use KIALS to build Bloom's Levels 1–3, then use classroom time to push into Levels 4–6.⁶ Together, they cover the complete cognitive spectrum.
Yes. KIALS accepts Word documents (.doc, .docx), PDFs, and PowerPoint files (.ppt, .pptx). The system generates fill-in-the-blank questions from your material automatically. You review and approve the questions before they enter the learning queue. This makes KIALS adaptable to virtually any subject or domain.
Instructors and L&D administrators have access to a class-level dashboard showing retention rates, engagement frequency, and mastery gaps by learner and by content item. This gives you real signal on what your team actually knows — not just what they scored on a one-time assessment.
30 days. No credit card. Experience the difference between training that fades and knowledge that holds.
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