LOADING

Type to search

Using Learning Science to Make Learning Durable

Student Learning Teaching Strategies and Techniques

Using Learning Science to Make Learning Durable

Have you done all you can do to design learning that will truly stick? In this article, we’ll share tips for how we implement three primary learning strategies—retrieval practice, spaced practice, and metacognition—in the courses we support in our roles as learning designers in the Colleges of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Business at Penn State University.

To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Tags:

You Might Also Like

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Have you done all you can do to design learning that will truly stick? In this article, we’ll share tips for how we implement three primary learning strategies—retrieval practice, spaced practice, and metacognition—in the courses we support in our roles as learning designers in the Colleges of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Business at Penn State University.

Retrieval practice

The more pathways students create in their brains to remember something, the better able they are to recall it from memory. By recalling information, students identify gaps in their learning and also strengthen their memory. Study strategies that students frequently turn to, such as rereading textbooks and looking over notes, unfortunately do not do the trick for long-term memory. Instead, help your students forge pathways to long-term memory by incorporating rigorous recall practice activities within the course content and as part of the course requirements. So, what does retrieval practice look like?

Frequent low-stakes assessments require students to practice recalling information, thereby strengthening learning. These assessments should also provide feedback, either automated or via the instructor, to help students identify any misunderstandings (Karpicke & Blunt, 2011). The feedback could take the form of hints to help students recall and apply content and will help students determine whether more practice or learning is needed. Some examples:

Spaced practice

Spaced practice is retrieval practice spread out over time. While it’s important for students to practice retrieving information they’ve just learned, it is even better to space this retrieval practice by periodically asking students to recall material and concepts covered previously. Spaced practice leading up to a summative assessment will help deepen learning for students, especially when students “forget” and have to reconnect or make alternative pathways for remembering (Yan, 2016). What does spaced practice look like?

Metacognition

Metacognition involves the ability to reflect on one’s own understanding. Students with metacognitive skills are better able to recognize when they don’t understand something and take appropriate steps to become more proficient (Hacker et al., 2009). Encourage students to reflect on their learning process and how they regulate their learning. Can students identify what learning strategies work well for them? Are they able to identify what to do when they don’t understand something? Have they created a reasonable study schedule, and can they adhere to it? Are students able to identify whether they are understanding the material or not? How can we encourage students to develop metacognitive skills?

Incorporating retrieval practice, spaced practice, and metacognition activities serves the dual purpose of strengthening students’ understanding of material while at the same time giving instructors greater insight into how well students are understanding course material. In our next article, we will explore a variety of tools that can be used to support these strategies.

References

Benjamin, A. S., & Tulis, J. (2010). What makes distributed practice effective? Cognitive Psychology, 61(3), 228–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2010.05.004

Brown, P. C. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Hacker, D. J., Dunlosky, J., & Graesser, A. (2009). Handbook of metacognition in education. Routledge.

Horvath, J. C. (2019). Stop talking: Start influencing. Exisle Publishing.

Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval practice produces more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping. Science, 331(6018), 772–775. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1199327

Yan, V. (2016, May 10). GUEST POST: Retrieval strength vs. storage strength. Retrieved from https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/5/10-1?rq=forgetting

Jane Sutterlin, MEd, is a learning designer in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and Emily Baxter, MEd, is an instructional designer in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. You can visit their website of collected activities, tool examples, and more references at https://bit.ly/IntegrateLS.


To sign up for weekly email updates from The Teaching Professor, visit this link.