#183 How to help students remember things with Nick Soderstrom
Nov 30, 2023
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Cognitive psychologist, Nick Soderstrom, discusses memory and retrieval practice. Topics include testing, spacing, interleaving, pre-testing, and effective feedback strategies in teaching math. They explore the difference between learning and performance, optimal spacing for effective learning, and the impact of pre-testing on students' prior knowledge. They also debunk the belief in learning styles and highlight the importance of effective learning strategies.
Retrieval practice, or testing, strengthens long-term memory and enhances learning.
Incorporating regular testing into the classroom helps students retain information and reduces the need for reteaching later on.
Spacing, or spreading repetitions out over time, helps students retrieve and retain information more effectively.
Deep dives
Retrieval Practice: The Power of Testing
Retrieval practice, often referred to as testing, involves getting students to answer questions or perform skills on their own without immediate feedback. This form of practice strengthens long-term memory and enhances learning. Students who can recall information or perform a skill during retrieval practice are more likely to remember it in the future. Immediate feedback can be helpful, but it's also beneficial to encourage students to think about why their answers may be incorrect and figure out the correct answers themselves. This type of active engagement and reflection enhances learning and retention. Incorporating regular testing into the classroom helps students retain information and reduces the need for reteaching later on.
Making Time for Retrieval Practice
While teachers often feel pressed for time due to the extensive content they need to cover, making time for retrieval practice is crucial. Without regular opportunities for retrieval, students are prone to forgetting information, leading to the need for more reteaching in the long run. Incorporating retrieval practice into the daily routine, such as using entrance tickets or low-stakes quizzes, allows students to actively engage with and recall information. By prioritizing learning and practice over mere content coverage, teachers can help students retain knowledge and reduce the need for extensive catch-up sessions in future years.
Spacing: The Benefits of Spreading Out Learning
Spacing, or spreading repetitions out over time, is another effective strategy for enhancing learning. Instead of cramming information into a short period of time, spacing involves revisiting and reviewing material after a delay. This approach taps into long-term memory processes, helping students retrieve and retain information more effectively. By spacing out repetitions, students develop a more solid foundation and are less likely to forget the material over time. Teachers can incorporate spacing by revisiting topics or skills in subsequent lessons or utilizing spaced practice quizzes throughout the year to reinforce learning.
The Benefits of Pre-Testing
Pre-testing refers to testing students on information they have yet to encounter. While it may seem counterintuitive, research suggests that pre-testing can enhance learning. In a study conducted by Elizabeth Bjork and Nick Soderstrom, students who were given pre-tests before a lesson showed a significant boost in learning compared to those who did not receive a pre-test. The pre-test served as a guide, signaling to students that the material was important and leading to enhanced attention during the lesson. It also encouraged more effective self-regulated study outside of class. Although pre-testing may initially result in failure, it can trigger a series of cognitive and motivational processes that ultimately enhance learning.
The Power of Retrieval Practice
Research indicates that retrieval practice, where learners actively recall information from memory, is an effective learning strategy. This practice works for both simple and complex subjects and is beneficial for learners of all ages. While some people may argue that retrieval practice is only effective for memorizing trivia or random information, numerous studies show that it is effective for educationally relevant materials like passages and skills. By incorporating retrieval practice into teaching strategies and getting students to learn the basic concepts before tackling more complex ideas, educators can enhance long-term learning.
Overcoming Resistance to Desirable Difficulties
The concept of desirable difficulties, such as spacing and interleaving, can be met with resistance from students because it goes against the traditional teaching methods they are accustomed to. However, research suggests that resistance is often a result of familiarity rather than the difficulty itself. By introducing desirable difficulties from an early age and incorporating them consistently throughout a student's learning journey, these strategies can become the norm. By breaking the cycle of traditional teaching methods and exposing students to desirable difficulties from the start, educators can help students embrace these strategies and reap the long-term benefits of enhanced learning.
Cognitive psychologist, Nick Soderstrom, joins me to talk about all things memory and retrieval. We discuss the important distinction between learning and performance, and then dive into four desirable difficulties: testing, spacing, interleaving and pre-testing. Links can be found in the show notes: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/how-to-remember
Time-stamps:
Memory, learning, and career paths with a cognitive psychologist. (7:04)
The importance of retrieval practice in learning. (12:25)
Learning vs performance in education. (17:51)
Retrieval practice and testing in education. (24:26)
The benefits of testing students and how it can improve learning. (29:35)
Effective feedback strategies in teaching. (36:11)
Math testing formats and feedback. (43:03)
Retrieval practice in math education. (47:37)
Using retrieval practice and spacing to improve learning. (51:33)
Spaced repetition in teaching fractions. (56:30)
Optimal spacing for effective learning. (1:01:01)
Optimal retrieval practice for learning. (1:05:36)
Using hints and cues in retrieval practice. (1:10:03)
Formative assessments and learning vs performance. (1:13:30)
Interleaving and its benefits in learning. (1:17:41)
Interleaving in math education. (1:23:55)
Math education techniques and interleaving. (1:27:53)
Interleaving practice in education. (1:31:41)
Pre-testing in education. (1:36:57)
Assessing students' prior knowledge in math lessons. (1:44:24)
Pre-testing in education and its potential effects on students. (1:47:35)
Pre-testing and its benefits in education. (1:52:48)
Retrieval practice and its effectiveness in learning. (1:57:43)
Learning strategies and debunking myths. (2:02:21)
Learning styles, desirable difficulties, and technology in education. (2:08:32)
Learning vs performance in education. (2:14:37)
Learning strategies and research-backed techniques for teachers. (2:20:22)
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