Best Practices for Remembering in the Classroom Flashcards
Can you improve your memory?
● The scientific study of learning and memory indicates ways to improve
memory.
● But how?
–Pay attention
–Use imagery
–Use multiple senses
–Sleep well
–Relax
–Create associations
–Practice
–Reduce overload
–Try a rhyme
–Re-create the learning event
–Exercise
Assigned Reading (Eich)
- spaced practice
- testing effect
you can use both
Practice: “Spaced Practice”
- two conditions:messed and spaced
- 3 days experiment
day 1:
* massed condition does not do anything
* spaced condition read a chapter 1
day 2:
* massed condition reads the chapter1 , then read it again (chapter 1)
* spaced condition read the second time(chapter 1)
day 3(day of the test):
* spaced condition does better on the test
Eich Reading
● The spacing effect is observed across different learning domains and sensory modalities (though
there are some exceptions)
● It is seen in humans and other species (even in worms!)
● Interestingly, study participants overwhelmingly believed that massed practice is better than spaced practice!
!
Practice: “Testing Effect”
- two conditions: test yourself and review
- 3 days experiment
day 1:
* test your self condition study chapter
* review condition study chapter
day 2:
* test yourself condition quiz yourself
* review condition re-read the chapter
day 3(day of the test):
* test yourself does better in the test
Recap
spacing effect: when the interval
between successive study sessions is
increased, performance in later testing
improves
testing effect: testing your knowledge of to-be-remembered material is more effective for long-term retention of that material than simply re-studying the material
Why does the spacing effect work?
Spacing creates more distinct encoding contexts for the to-be-remembered material (leaving the learner with more possible retrieval cues or connections)
it gives more flexibility
Other Tips
- exercise
- sleep
