Lesson 2: Spaced Practice
Prefer to listen to this lesson?
Workshop Scenario:
Please think of yourself in the following scenario as you complete this workshop.
Imagine you are a learner struggling to keep up with coursework. You are overwhelmed by the amount of material you need to learn and find yourself forgetting key concepts and details. Determined to improve your study habits, you enroll in a learning and studying techniques workshop. In that workshop, you learn about several excellent study techniques.
Your final assignment is to choose a study technique to research and prepare to debate why you think that study technique is the best. Also, provide an example of how you used the study technique in your own life.
In the last lesson, you learned about the principles of effective learning.
In this lesson, you will learn more about the spaced practice study technique, its benefits, and how it can be applied to study routines.
Remember to take notes on the pros and cons of spaced practice. You will need to choose one of the study routines to debate later.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to…
Explain the benefits of spaced practice for long-term memory retention
Differentiate spaced practice from other types of learning
Incorporate spacing into study routine
Important Questions to Answer While Reading:
To be successful in this lesson, you must be able to answer these important questions.
What is spacing, and how does it differ from cramming when it comes to studying?
Why is spacing an effective study technique?
Lesson 2: Spaced Practice
What is this technique?
Spaced practice is a technique for learning and retaining information that involves spacing out study or practice sessions over time.
In spaced practice, a learner will study a particular topic or practice a particular skill and then wait for a period before revisiting that topic or skill. The idea is that by spacing out the practice or study sessions, the learner is more likely to remember the information or skill over the long term.
Research shows that spaced practice is more effective than cramming or trying to learn everything in a single session. The brain needs time to consolidate information and build strong neural connections. By spacing out practice sessions, the learner can reinforce and strengthen those neural connections over time, leading to better retention and recall of the information.
Benefits of spaced practice?
Spacing out study sessions helps to strengthen the memory trace, making it more durable and more accessible to retrieve later.
Better understanding: Spacing out study sessions gives you time to reflect on the material and understand it deeper rather than just memorizing it.
Reduced stress: Spreading out study sessions over time reduces the pressure to remember everything at once, lowering stress levels and increasing motivation.
Increased engagement: Spacing out study sessions allows you to review and revise the material, which can help you stay focused and engaged in the learning process.
Improved long-term retention: Research has shown that spacing out study sessions, as opposed to cramming, leads to better long-term retention of information.
Improved application of information: By spacing out study sessions and giving yourself time to reflect on the material, you can think about how you might apply the knowledge in real-world situations, which can help to solidify the memory.
Ways to incorporate spacing into your study routine:
Here are some tips for incorporating the method of spacing into your study sessions:
Plan ahead: Instead of cramming all your studying into one session, plan a study schedule in advance. This will help you space out your study sessions over time and ensure enough time to cover all the material you need to learn.
Use a calendar or planner: Use a calendar or planner to schedule your study sessions. This will help you see when your study sessions are happening and ensure that you’re spacing them out effectively.
Review material regularly: Instead of reviewing material only once, make a habit of reviewing it regularly. This will help reinforce the material in your memory and improve your ability to recall it.
Take breaks: When you’re studying, take regular breaks to give your brain a chance to rest and consolidate the information. This will help you practice retrieval and improve your ability to transfer knowledge between different topics.
Practice active recall: Instead of just reading through your notes, practice active recall by testing yourself on the material. This will help you strengthen your memory and improve your recall of information later.
Closing Assessment:
Now that you have reached the end of this lesson, you should know the following:
Understand what spaced practice is, its benefits, and how it can be incorporated into your study routine.
Advance your understanding by participating in the 24/7 Discussion Forum:
Please answer the following question in the comment section below and interact with learners from around the world.
Reflect on a previous learning experience where spacing could have been helpful. Discuss how you could have used spacing in that situation and the potential impact it could have had on the outcome of your learning.
Please read and reply to other learners’ answers in the forum by stating if you agree or disagree with their answers and why. Your replies should offer new substantiated ideas or thoughtful questions.
or try a prompt below!
