Invent better practice app

By user73270 - updated: 6 years, 7 months ago - 10 messages

I was thinking that 'Typing Practice' of any kind is always a bit of 'hit and miss'. I wonder, does an app exist that gives you an ordinary quote as any other app, but then... When your WPM is slow, or when you make a mistake, the app makes you repeat that bit over and over by modifying the quote to focus on your weakness and improve it by constant repetition.
I find that my fingers 'remember' a sequence of keys if I repeat pressing them over and over.
That does not happen in a quote though and even practice typing doesn't focus on my particular weaknesses.
Maybe I'm just too lazy to practice diligently, but for someone whose life is not all about typing, a program that helps you target your weaknesses could be the way to go.
Weaknesses, weaknesses, weaknesses, weaknesses, weaknesses, weaknesses, weaknesses, weaknesses, weaknesses...
By ultra_penguin - posted: 6 years, 9 months ago

This is actually a really neat idea.
Typeracer is now able to show you your average speed for each segment of the quote/text. So it should be possible to implement something similar, and allow you to practice on the segments that you are slowest at.

EDIT: Just did a google search for adaptive typing software. Typingbolt and keybr are two examples that you can look at.
Updated 6 years, 9 months ago
By marc3 - posted: 6 years, 9 months ago

Thanks for your suggestion. It's a really cool idea. I'll start thinking on how to implement that. Maybe I could add a button that takes you back a few seconds back. This way you can repeat any piece of text. Or something that takes you back a few seconds until you reach a target speed. Thoughts?
By user73270 - posted: 6 years, 8 months ago

The idea about a repeat-button option sounds really interesting. I really like the way 'keyhero' works. It is user friendly and one can jump straight in without any complicated setting up. It would be a shame to loose that, or to affect the speed of the service and how neat it is negatively.

The 'return/repeat' button could not be a button at all. Maybe there could be an 'advanced settings' option that would give the user an option to set up a repetition margin. For example-- repeat each '5 word sequence' where your speed drops below (for example) 60/50/40 etc. WPM. Same could be done with accuracy. Maybe every imperfect '5 word section' could be repeated. The settings could also determine number of repeats-- repeat 1x; 2x; 3x... or simply once until perfect and within the required/chosen WPM. I don't know how many words per sequence would be best. Are 5 words too many to repeat? Or maybe the amount of words in a sequence could also be chosen in the advanced settings.

Thanks for thinking about it. And thanks for a great free typing site. Maybe the idea wouldn't work for free online. Could be commercial for download maybe? 1 Buy the program. 2 Customized Quotes from work or study materials could be added according to what user needs the most. I suppose everyone wants to be best at writing whatever words/sentences they use the most. 3 Er... That's it.
By user73270 - posted: 6 years, 8 months ago

That would actually be really crazy. Imagine a user chooses to write 100 WPM. And repeats and repeats over and over a given amount of words until he hits the target. Could a person whose average is around 50 WPM hit one hundred this way? Would it improve one's typing speed in the long run?
By pineapplepanda - posted: 6 years, 8 months ago

I would depend on how you use it, if you use it to practice the same phrase over and over again just say you have a high WPM then it won't help you in the long run. But for example if you have trouble typing the letters 'P' or 'Q' something like this would be helpful because it would make it much easier to practice typing the phases with those letters. Instead of going through 10 quotes where a 'P' or 'Q' comes up once or twice.
By user73270 - posted: 6 years, 8 months ago

I figured it out. What I want is already available. Here.

1. Find out what short sentence you need to practice. (The shorter the better to focus on a weakness)
2. Go to 'Typing Practice' top of the page next to 'Quotes' and 'Forum'
3. Click on 'Custom Text Test', it is a third green box from top.

I've typed - I'll just practice typing this. - Into the 'Text box'.

That sentence is actually quite demanding for the small finger on the right hand. The symbols: ' and p with the combination of having to change position of the right hand makes it quite challenging.

I find it better to focus on a short sentence. Then maybe on another one after I'm happy with the result and in the end I could combine the two sentences in one test.

I suppose random quotes can be analysed now and copied to the 'Custom Typing Test' when the user wants to work on a particular area of difficulty.

Cheers
By user73270 - posted: 6 years, 8 months ago

Some words are more difficult than others.
When I create a test: Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice.
I never reach my average. The word is probably long enough with the punctuation etc. It follows that some quotes must be a lot easier depending on what is the difficulty of each word they contain.
By user66844 - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

Should add ten key number pad as well.
By silverlinings83 - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

I like the number pad practice idea. I can't get that down for beans!!!
By peace - posted: 6 years, 7 months ago

Thanks a lot. Didn't know about the typing bolt website, it's pretty neat.
Updated 6 years, 7 months ago