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Tag Archives: retrieval practice
Retrieval Grids: The Good, the Bad, and the Potential Solutions
“Retrieval grids” promote retrieval practice — that’s good! But they might lead to working-memory overload — that’s really bad. Happily, we might be able to solve this problem… Continue reading
Can Multiple-Choice Tests Really Help Students?
Surprise: a well-designed multiple choice question might in fact help students. Why? Because it requires extra retrieval practice to sort out all the answers. Continue reading
Study Advice for Students: Getting the Specifics Just Right
To get the best benefits from “retrieval practice,” teachers can try this strategy to reassure and motivate nervous students. Continue reading
The Best Teaching Book to Read This Summer: Powerful Teaching
Powerful Teaching, by Agarwal and Bain, combines research and practical classroom strategies. The result: an ideal book for teachers who want to improve our practice. Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews, L&B Blog
Tagged classroom advice, long-term memory, retrieval practice
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A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Confusing
All too often, psychology discussions use confusing — or worse, deliberately cheerful — terminology. Teachers should seek out direct and neutral terms to simplify and clarify our discussions. Continue reading
Meet Blake Harvard, “Effortful Educator”
An interview with Blake Harvard: high-school psychology teacher, and Effortful Educator. Continue reading
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged boundary conditions, classroom advice, coaching, retrieval practice
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The Better Choice: Open- or Closed-Book Quizzes
As predicted by research into “retrieval practice,” closed-book quizzes do in fact help students learn better than open-book quizzes do. Once again, the right kind of difficulties can be desirable in school. Continue reading
Can Teachers Be Trusted to Evaluate Research?
Too often, teachers hear that our judgment about classroom applications of scientific research isn’t to be trusted. And yet, teacher judgment is essential when applying research in the classroom. Given that psychology research affects classroom practice only when teachers use it, why put down the teachers who are essential partners in this process? Our field should focus not on competition, but on respectful collaboration. Continue reading
Posted in L&B Blog
Tagged boundary conditions, methodology, retrieval practice, working memory
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Good News! Contradictory Research on Desirable Difficulties…
As we regularly emphasize here on the blog, attempts to recall information benefit learning. That is: students might study by reviewing material. Or, they might study with practice tests. (Or flashcards. Perhaps Quizlet.) Researchers call this technique “retrieval practice,” and
The Limits of Retrieval Practice, Take II…
Just two weeks ago, I posted about a study showing potential boundary conditions for retrieval practice: one of the most robustly supported classroom strategies for enhancing long-term memories. As luck would have it, the authors of that study wrote up their