Lecture 3 - Learning

Question 1

explicit learning

Answer 1

• learning with intention
• rate of learning: ebbinghaus total time hypothesis. the amount learned depends on the time spent learning - more time invested = greater the amount of material you can retain.
• Ericsson et al. 1993 - is time invested everything? 10 violinists. found % of time spent on practise does not differ between good and best students. to become a pro need deliberate practice focussing on weaknesses & development of new skills etc.
• ebbinghaus - pp’s can recit with speed of 2.5 syllables/second. took 21 mins to learn list again for the worst condition vs 7 min difference to the best performance = total time for learning is not constant.
• evenly distributed learning results in more time efficient learning than cramming

Question 2

the learning technique: expanding retrieval

Answer 2

• Landauer & Bjork (1978) - learning and testing sequences should alternate. items should initially be tested after a short delay then pre-test delays should gradually inc across trials
• Pashler et al 2007 - seems to be an interaction between interstudy time and retention interval. optimum retrieval should be 10-20% of retention interval.
• is expanding retrieval just a repetition effect? Bekerian & BAddeley - when BBC changed wavelengths they advertised this before and almost all aware but only 25% tried to recall numerical freq of wavelengths and they were at chance level. = for explicit learning need to engage.
• expanding retrieval is explained by 2 principles: distribution of practice & the testing effect which is related to the generation effect

Question 3

Learning technique: the testing effect

Answer 3

• LTM is enhanced when much of the learning period is devoted to retrieving the to-be remembered info
• Roediger & Karpicke (2006) - pp’s learned prose passage. either SSSS, SSST or STTT. after 5m recall is best for study only followed by single test and then repeated test. BUT after 1 week repeated test best then single test then study only.
• testing leads to enganced organisational processes e.g. organisation of material. also supports use of more effective mediators during learning i.e., meaningful links establishing during learning which are updated due to retreival failure.

Question 4

The generation effect

Answer 4

• Metcalf & Kornell (2007) - english-french vocab material. either passive learning or presentation of french word after delay (generation). more words recalled in generation vs passive condition.
• material you actively recall from memory/generate (e.g. self-test) is remembered better
• even though material studied repeatedly, recall errors made at beginning persisted - eliminated when feedback given (Kay 1955)

Question 5

study techniques

Answer 5

• Gurung (2005) - questionnaires on how students study show pos cor with exam scores between hours spent studying, making materials, reading book and self testing. neg cor betweem missing class, TV on, responding to texts, with friends while studying. no cor with rewriting notes. self-testing was strongest predictor