Retrieval Practice, Forgetting Curve, Spacing
Retrieval Practice refers to the act of recalling learned information from memory (with little or no support) and every time that information is retrieved, or an answer is generated, it changes the original memory to make it stronger. It is a key feature of the Rosenshine Principles and key to changing long term memory.
Retrieval Practice and Rosenshine
- ‘The most effective teachers in the studies of classroom instruction understood the importance of practice, and they began their lessons with a five-to-eight-minute review of previously covered material.’ Rosenshine 2012, p.2.
- ‘Research has found that even at the secondary level, classes that had weekly quizzes scored better on final exams than did classes with only one or two quizzes during the term.’ Rosenshine 2012, p.8.
Principle 1: Start the lesson with a short review of previous learning: Retrieval Practice is central to this. Retrieval needs to be a routine start to lessons. Each lesson should begin with a ‘Do Now’; this is a review in the form of a low stakes retrieval technique. Retrieval Practice does not have to be restricted to the start of the lesson but can in fact be used at any point within a lesson, in the same way as ‘Checking For Understanding’.
Principle 10: Engage students in regular review: this can be weekly and/or monthly to revisit prior learning and support long-term memory. Once again this lends itself perfectly to retrieval and spaced practice. Once again, this is low stakes, not a big test.
Retrieval Practice Techniques
Retrieval practice is intended to be low-stakes or no-stakes. UL produce tailored Retrieval Practice resources, such as Starter Grids/Mats produced by subject advisors, alongside very simple ‘Do Now’ low or no stakes quizzes. Katie Jones, in her ‘Retrieval Practice’ (2019) book, accessed HERE, provides many varied techniques for retrieval practice e.g. simple low stakes tests, retrieval grids, retrieval roulette, revision clocks etc.
See Appendix 1 for further detail on ‘Forgetting’, ‘Spacing’ and ‘Desirable Difficulties’.
Retrieval Practice Is More Effective Than Other Revision Strategies: ‘Desirable Difficulties’
Why do students prefer re-reading over testing? There is no challenge or very little mental effort required when re-reading/highlighting notes in comparison to trying to retrieve information when answering questions. This gives students the illusion of competence while studying. It is the challenge from spaced retrieval practice that significantly improves learning. Brown et all in ‘Make It Stick’ (2014) (HERE) wrote that when learning is harder, it is stronger and lasts longer, they also add that the more effort required to retrieve something, the better you actually learn it.
Bjork stated that performance is not the same thing as learning. Spacing out practice may not give you the same fluency in the short term, but it is far better in the long-term. He states ‘Using your memory, shapes your memory.’ Some difficulties that elicit more effort and that slow down learning – spacing, interleaving, mixing up practice, and others – will more than compensate for their inconvenience by making the learning stronger, more precise, and more enduring. Short term impediments that make for stronger learning have come to be called desirable difficulties, a term coined by the psychologists Elizabeth and Robert Bjork (‘Desirable Differences’, available HERE).
Retrieval Practice and Revision Techniques
We recommend that academies develop a Year 7-13 revision policy, based around the techniques outlined in this section.
- Self-Quizzing from Knowledge Organisers
- Self-quizzing from Knowledge Organisers (using techniques such as Look/Cover/Write/Check) should be built into a daily homework (see the Case Study in Appendix 2).
- Flash Cards
Flash cards are a very useful revision activity for many reasons. When students create flash cards with questions on one side and answers on the other, this promotes self-or pair testing to ensure active recall – retrieval practice is then taking place. It is vital students include the answers when creating flash cards because this provides instant feedback and guidance. This feedback also informs students where the gaps in their knowledge are that they need to return to and focus on. It is important that students consciously recall the answer to the question on their flash cards, either verbally or in writing.
Nicky Case, How to remember anything forever-ish– has some lovely interactive graphs that illustrate the idea of spaced-repetition, and which integrates some flashcards into the explanation.