THINKER'S ALMANAC - July 24

Subject:  Testing Effect/Retrieval Practice - A String of Cranberries

Event:    Birthday of American psychologist Henry L. Roediger III, 1947

The true art of memory is the art of attention.  -Samuel Johnson

Today is the birthday of American psychologist Henry L. "Roddy" Roediger III, who was born in 1947. Specializing in learning and memory, Roediger’s experiments have generated a somewhat controversial conclusion: when it comes to learning, testing is more important than studying.

                                                          Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

In one sample study, students attempted to memorize words.  The students were separated into three groups.  Each group studied the words for the same amount of time, but each group employed different strategies.  One group of students studied in eight short sessions. The second group attended six sessions, interrupted by two tests.  The third group completed four study sessions with each session ending with a test.  Forty-eight hours after the three groups completed their learning, all groups were assessed to determine which strategy resulted in the best retention.  The results revealed that the more students were given the opportunity to test their retention, the better they retained their knowledge.

Roediger’s studies reveal the vital connection between study and testing.  Often long study sessions fool students into thinking they have learned the material; this happens because the material is present in their conscious working memory; however, in order to transfer learning from short-term working memory to long-term memory, students need to practice retrieving what they have learned, testing themselves to determine that what has been studied can be retrieved.  Whether it is called the testing effect or retrieval practice, this method prevents the illusion of knowledge.  Putting memory to the test strengthens it.  As Aristotle wrote long ago, “Exercise in repeatedly recalling a thing strengthens the memory.”

In the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, the authors present the following analogy to explain the relationship between study and learning:  

A child stringing cranberries on a thread goes to hang them on a tree, only to find they’ve slipped off the other end. Without the knot, there’s no making a string.  Without the knot there’s no necklace, there’s no beaded purse, no magnificent tapestry.  Retrieval ties the knot for memory.  Repeated retrieval snugs it up and adds a loop to make it fast. (1)

Two keys to successful retrieval practice are legitimate self-testing and spacing out the learning.  Instead of just reviewing notes, for example, students should use flashcards with questions on one side and answers on the other.  This creates a legitimate self test because the student reads a study question without looking at the answer.  The added benefit of this method is that it provides immediate feedback; turning over the flash card reveals the answer and allows the student to know immediately what they know versus what they don’t know. The second key is spacing out study and retrieval sessions.  As demonstrated by Hermann Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve, the best way to prevent memory loss is to review information at timed, spaced intervals.  In fact, studies reveal that spacing out retrieval practice sessions over several days produces three times better retention than a single cramming session.  Therefore, while cramming may have shown results in the short term, the key to long-term retention is spaced-out sessions of retrieval practice.

Recall, Retrieve, Recite, Ruminate, Reflect, Reason:  What is the testing effect, and what evidence is there that it is an effective study strategy?

Challenge - Transform Forgetting into Learning:  Create a poster that explains and illustrates Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve; then, add an explanation of how the proper application of the testing effect/retrieval practice can transform the Forgetting Curve into a Learning Curve.

Sources:

1-Brown, Peter C., Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel.  Make It Stick:  The Science of Successful Learning.  Cambridge, Mass.:  Harvard University Press, 2014.