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Tag Archives: retrieval practice
“Seductive Details” meet “Retrieval Practice”: A Match Made in Cognitive Heaven
Here’s a common problem: your job today is to teach a boring topic. (You don’t think it’s boring, but your students always complain…) What’s a teacher to do? One plausible strategy: You might enliven this topic in some entertaining way. You’ve
The Limitations of Retrieval Practice (Yes, You Read That Right)
Last week, I wrote that “upsides always have downsides.” That is: anything that teachers do to foster learning (in this way) might also hamper learning (in that way). We should always be looking for side effects. So, let me take
How To Make Sure Homework Really Helps (a.k.a.: “Retrieval Practice Fails”)
Most research focuses narrowly on just a few questions. For instance: “Does mindful meditation help 5th grade students reduce anxiety?” “How many instructions overwhelm college students’ working memory?” “Do quizzes improve attention when students learn from online videos?” Very occasionally,
Getting the Order Just Right: When to “Generate,” When to “Retrieve”?
When teachers get advice from psychology and neuroscience, we start by getting individual bits of guidance. For instance… … mindful meditation reduces stress, or … growth mindset strategies (done the right way) can produce modest benefits, or … cell phones
Let’s Get Practical: What Works Best in the Classroom?
At times, this blog explores big-picture hypotheticals — the “what if” questions that can inspire researchers and teachers. And, at times, we just want practical information. Teachers are busy folks. We simply want to know: what works? What really helps my
To Grade or Not to Grade: Should Retrieval Practice Quizzes Be Scored? [Repost]
We’ve seen enough research on retrieval practice to know: it rocks. When students simply review material (review their notes; reread the chapter), that mental work doesn’t help them learn. However, when they try to remember (quiz themselves, use flashcards), this kind
“Compared to What”: Is Retrieval Practice Really Better?
When teachers turn to brain research, we want to know: which way is better? Are handwritten notes better than laptop notes? Is cold-calling better than calling on students who raise their hands? Is it better to spread practice out over time,
To Grade or Not to Grade: Should Retrieval Practice Quizzes Be Scored?
We’ve seen enough research on retrieval practice to know: it rocks. When students simply review material (review their notes; reread the chapter), that mental work doesn’t help them learn. However, when they try to remember (quiz themselves, use flashcards), this kind
Retrieval Practice and Metacognition: What and How Do Students Think about This Powerful Learning Strategy?
Ask almost anyone in Learning and the Brain world, they’ll tell you: retrieval practice benefits students. More than most any other technique we have, this one both has lots of research support and can easily be integrated into our classrooms. (For a handy review
Two New Ways of Thinking About Memory
In our classroom work, we teachers focus on learning; in their research, psychologists and neuroscientists often focus on memory. We have, in other words, different frameworks for talking about the same topic. When I find one review article that provides TWO fresh ways