Scott H Young Podcast (Ep 265) - Why Flashcards Beat Mnemonics for Studying
Sep 28, 2023
Exploring the effectiveness of flashcards vs. mnemonics for studying, highlighting advantages of flashcards for long-term learning, and discussing how mnemonics and flashcards can be combined for optimal learning.
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Memory Competition Examples
- Joshua Foer explored memory competitions like memorizing decks in under a minute and pi to thousands of digits.
- These elite feats showcase what mnemonics can achieve in short-term, high-intensity contexts.
Practice Testing Outperforms Mnemonics
- Research rates practice testing (flashcards) as highly useful compared with keyword mnemonics.
- Mnemonics score lower in controlled studies for general student learning.
Durability Favors Repetition
- Mnemonics help short-term recall but often fail to produce durable long-term retention.
- Flashcards create repeated retrieval that better supports long-term memory.