Lecture 22 - Improving memory continued Flashcards
(13 cards)
hat is spaced (distributed) practice?
Studying that is spread out over time rather than crammed into a short period
How does spaced practice cmpare to cramming (massed practice)?
Spaced practice consistently leads to better long-term retention and understanding
What did Bude et al. (2011) investigate?
Effects of course duration (8 weeks vs 6 months) on statistics learning outcomes after a curriculum change
What were Bude et al.’s findings?
The 8-week course led to lower conceptual test scores during + immediately after the course, and slightly lower final exam scores (for critical course), suggesting spaced learning (6-month course) is more effective overall
What didn Cepeda et al (2006) review?
254 studies involving over 14,000 participants comparing massed vs spaced practice
What were the findings of Cepeda et al. (2006)?
Spaced practice led to significantly better recall (47%) than massed practice (37%)
What did Cepeda et al. (2006) conclude about retention intervals?
All studies with retention intervals longer than a month showed a clear benefit for spaced practice
What task was used in Looed’s 1930 study?
Mirror drawing task to compare massed vs distributed practice
What was Looed’s conclusion?
Even in motor learning tasks like mirror drawing, spaced practice resulted in better performance
What did Cepeda et al. (2008) find about optimal lag between sessions?
Learning is best when the lag is 10-20% of the desired retention interval
According to Cepeda et al. (2008), how far apart should learning sessions be to remember something for 1 week?
12-24 hours apart
According to Cepeda et al. (2008), how far apart should learning sessions be to remember something for 5 years?
6-12 months apart
What is the key takeaway about spaced practice?
Spaced practice improves both short and long term retention, is backed by robust empirical evidence, and should be time based on the desired duration of memory retention
