Week# 2
SMART Learning objectives
At the end of this week’s workshop, students should be able to correctly identify 85% of the following objectives:
- Define spaced practice
- Define varied practice
- Define interleave practice
- Define encoding
- Define consolidation
- Define retrieval
Content summaries
Chapter 3: Mix Up Your Practice
Since childhood, most people were raised on the old adage of practice makes perfect. Teachers, coaches, and even parents advocate this pragmatic approach in the hopes of improving one’s skills. However, resent research conducted by Brown, Roediger, and McDaniel (2014), show that massed practice may not produce the intended results. A better alternative may be to interleave the practice with additional learning opportunities.
Interleaving practice is a method by which two or more subject areas are studied at once vice focusing solely on a single discipline. An example of this method was a research study that measured two groups of college students who were challenged to find the volumes of four obscure geometric solids (Brown, et. al., 2014). One group was presented problems that were clustered by type. The subsequent group was given the same test, yet the sequence of material was interleaved. The initial results showed that the students who performed massed practice scored nearly 30 percent higher. One week after the initial instruction period, the students were retested; the interleaved group outperformed the massed practice group by an astonishing 215 percent. Yet, despite repeated empirical testing highlighting the benefits of interleaving practice, many students and teachers are hesitant to embrace it. Primarily because the material is interpreted at a slower pace and the long-term benefits are not apparent.
Finally, the authors state interleaving two or more disciplines will prevent students from becoming victim to the familiarity trap—or the feeling that one has mastered the subject. This can be avoided by varying the practice sequence and spacing the study times. The first ensures that rote memorization does not provide a false sense of security, and the latter will allow the student to forget certain aspects which will require the brain to initiate the active retrieval process (Brown, et. al., 2014).
Interleaving practice is a method by which two or more subject areas are studied at once vice focusing solely on a single discipline. An example of this method was a research study that measured two groups of college students who were challenged to find the volumes of four obscure geometric solids (Brown, et. al., 2014). One group was presented problems that were clustered by type. The subsequent group was given the same test, yet the sequence of material was interleaved. The initial results showed that the students who performed massed practice scored nearly 30 percent higher. One week after the initial instruction period, the students were retested; the interleaved group outperformed the massed practice group by an astonishing 215 percent. Yet, despite repeated empirical testing highlighting the benefits of interleaving practice, many students and teachers are hesitant to embrace it. Primarily because the material is interpreted at a slower pace and the long-term benefits are not apparent.
Finally, the authors state interleaving two or more disciplines will prevent students from becoming victim to the familiarity trap—or the feeling that one has mastered the subject. This can be avoided by varying the practice sequence and spacing the study times. The first ensures that rote memorization does not provide a false sense of security, and the latter will allow the student to forget certain aspects which will require the brain to initiate the active retrieval process (Brown, et. al., 2014).
Chapter 4: Embrace Difficulties
According to Brown, et. al., (2014), learning is composed of three distinct tendencies: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. Encoding is a process of creating memory traces into one’s short-term memory (think of writing a quick outline for a paper due next week). The transition from short-term to long-term recollection is navigated through the process of consolidation—where prior experience is required to add to the existing body of knowledge. And finally, retrieval combines the short-term, long-term processes, yet adds an additional dimension--forgetting. The knowledge is still there, but one must retrieve it to use it.
The author’s point out there is no limit to the brain’s ability to learn new information, only its ability to retrieve it (Brown, et. al., 2014). Further, research has shown that the desirable difficulties associated with the retrieval process are inversely related—the easier the information is to recall, the less beneficial; the more difficult the material, the greater the likelihood of recalling it (Brown, et. al., 2014).
Massed practice provides immediate and positive feedback because the information is fresh and readily accessible via short-term encoding. Yet, the authors believe creating mental models that tie the information to a series of complex ideas or events will create a greater sense of meaning and increase the long-term recollection. Broadening the practical context of the same behavior or material will add additional layers of competency or entrenchment (Brown, et. al., 2014). Additionally, reconsolidation—or recalling information once a period of time has elapsed will make the material pliable once more.
The author’s point out there is no limit to the brain’s ability to learn new information, only its ability to retrieve it (Brown, et. al., 2014). Further, research has shown that the desirable difficulties associated with the retrieval process are inversely related—the easier the information is to recall, the less beneficial; the more difficult the material, the greater the likelihood of recalling it (Brown, et. al., 2014).
Massed practice provides immediate and positive feedback because the information is fresh and readily accessible via short-term encoding. Yet, the authors believe creating mental models that tie the information to a series of complex ideas or events will create a greater sense of meaning and increase the long-term recollection. Broadening the practical context of the same behavior or material will add additional layers of competency or entrenchment (Brown, et. al., 2014). Additionally, reconsolidation—or recalling information once a period of time has elapsed will make the material pliable once more.
Making Learning Stick: Evidence and Insights to Improve Teaching and Learning [Video]
During a briefing given to educators at Washington University, McDaniel (2015) presented five findings that he argues can be incorporated into today’s classroom. The first is to discourage rereading material—or massed practice. He provided empirical data that showed test scores were virtually the same in those who read the material once versus rereading the same material to gain competency. Familiarity with the content was mistaken for mastery of the subject and the grades between the two groups were linear. The second finding is to not focus on fluency and frequency, but to generate understanding. One technique is to get the students to ask the question why—or explain the rationale associated with the subject matter (McDaniel, 2015).
The third component is spacing instruction—which delivers the same amount of instruction, yet encompasses a different structure. The speaker depicted the results of 38 medical students who were divided into groups. One group engaged in massed practice, the other used spaced training sessions. The results show that 16 percent of the students who were instructed via massed practice failed to perform the procedure they had studied, whereas no one failed from the spaced study group (McDaniel, 2015). The final two methods are to mix (interleave) the material and introduce the frequent use of low stakes quizzes as means to reinforce the material.
The third component is spacing instruction—which delivers the same amount of instruction, yet encompasses a different structure. The speaker depicted the results of 38 medical students who were divided into groups. One group engaged in massed practice, the other used spaced training sessions. The results show that 16 percent of the students who were instructed via massed practice failed to perform the procedure they had studied, whereas no one failed from the spaced study group (McDaniel, 2015). The final two methods are to mix (interleave) the material and introduce the frequent use of low stakes quizzes as means to reinforce the material.
connection to field and/or discipline
Several times over this past year, and literally hundreds of times throughout my career I have been required to brief various groups of people. In some instances this involves large groups of varying ranks and at other times it is smaller groups of high-level government officials. In almost all cases, the material I am required to cover requires extensive research and specific technical parameters. To preclude massed practice or reading from the slides, I always rewrite the material in my own words and try to tailor it to a relevant experience. I suppose I have been using consolidation and retrieval without knowing what it was called—I do know, however, that this method of study has provided me with a tangible good that is repeatable, dynamic, and keeps the audience engaged.
Suggestions for implementation
The method of instruction proposed by Brown, et. al. (2014) and McDaniel (2015) have shown that these are no more time consuming than the traditional methods of delivery. Therefore, educators can easily introduce spaced instruction into their lesson plans, present frequent, low-stakes quizzes to assist with active retrieval, and have the students answer why—or detail the relevant content.
Students can benefit by varying their practice through the use of traditional notecards, using a Leitner Box, or by utilizing a program like quizlet. Additionally, students can interleave their lessons, or engage in self-directed reflection techniques.
Students can benefit by varying their practice through the use of traditional notecards, using a Leitner Box, or by utilizing a program like quizlet. Additionally, students can interleave their lessons, or engage in self-directed reflection techniques.
formative assessment
Use the quizlet exam below to assess your comprehension of the SMART learning objectives.
References
- Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L. III, & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
- McDaniel, M. (2015, April 8). Making learning stick: Evidence and insights to improve teaching and learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=japP8Cr0q6g