Forgive my Anki-noob ignorance, but isn't a 1:1 ratio fact:card essentially basic? Or do you mean while they're the same info ratio-wise cloze is still faster as you basically type one sentence instead of two, multiplied across thousands of cards?
Do you have any other justifications for cloze over basic besides time? I've heard that basic is better for comprehension but I'm quickly realizing the physical boundaries of time with them haha
No, a 1:1 ratio just means you're testing yourself on 1 fact per card. The problem with a lot of basic cards is that they require you to remember too much information per card.
Example:
Front: What is the mechanism of action of lactulose?
Back: It traps NH3 in the intestines by decreasing the pH, causing it to be excreted as NH4+
That's just way too much to remember. You need to break it down into bite-sized pieces. This is where cloze shines.
Example:
{{c1::Lactulose}} traps {{c2::NH3}} in the intestines by decreasing the {{c3
😛H}}, causing it to be excreted as {{c4::NH4+}}
That's four cards right there, each testing a different fact. First fact: what drug traps NH3 in the intestines? Second fact: what toxic metabolite does lactulose trap in the intestines? Third fact: what property of NH3 is decreased by lactulose? Fourth fact: Lactulose causes NH3 to be excreted as what non-toxic metabolite?
You want your answers to be short and punchy, so you can just pound through cards. You can even do this with basic cards too if you format them well. You could just make cards from the questions in the last paragraph and have one word answers on the back. Boom, done.
I've changed my stance on basic being inferior to cloze. I kind of like basic as well now, because it varies things up a little. As long as your cards are formatted in that short and sweet manner, it really doesn't matter which style you use.
As far as comprehension goes with those long-style basic cards, I really don't think it's worth taking 10 freaking minutes to remember a card, and if you miss one part, you get the whole thing wrong. That's ridiculous. The cards are supposed to serve you, not the other way around. I find that the explanations in the extra sections and the Amboss add on are plenty for helping with comprehension. I even put the explanations on the card itself if I need to. It really helps.
Edit: The smiley face is supposed to be p for pH, but I guess the code is colon-colon-p. Whatever, lol
Edit 2: I will also say that this is all in the context of premade cards. If you're making them from scratch, basic cards still take way longer regardless, because you still have to make four individual cards.
