In our article on retrieval practice, we talked about the importance of constantly prompting learners to extract information from their memory, but how often and when should we use retrieval practice? In this article, we introduce two more approaches to boost retrieval practice: spaced and interleaved practice.
What do they mean?
- Spacing: Spreading out content over time. For instance, instead of teaching Concept A for 1 week in a blocked set – consecutively, we teach students Concept A across 2 weeks.
- Interleaving: Mixing up similar things for students to discriminate. For instance, as we teach students Concept A, we also let students learn or practice Concept B which is related to Concept A, as opposed to focusing on Concept A – exclusively.
How to incorporate spaced and interleaved practice in learning design?
1️⃣ What did you learn from today’s course?
Go back to the related concept periodically while introducing new content. Retrieve and mix it up!
Ask your learners what they learned from yesterday’s course.
2️⃣ Adjust the design of problem sets or concepts for teaching and learning
Interleave similar concepts so that students have to think about the subtle differences and connections between these concepts.
Adopt a hybrid approach with blocked practice that targets the knowledge foundation followed by interleaved practice.
In fact, we use spacing and interleaving quite frequently in our daily lives. Recently, I have been using Duolingo to practice German. As I spend more time working on these practices, I have unlocked more practices. In the following screenshot, you can see that Basics 1, Family, Basics 2, and Greetings are all unlocked.
The question then becomes: Which of these unlocked exercises should I work on each day?
To apply the principles of interleaving and spacing, I should not finish all the levels for one practice before moving on to the next. Instead, I should follow the recommended “hovering” strategy, and re-visit prior practices as I learn new topics in the app. For example, on Monday I might work on one level of Basics 1 and Family. On Tuesday, I start to work on Basics 2, and continue to work on the next level of Basics 1 and Family.
References
Agarwal, P. K., & Bain, P. M. (2019). Powerful teaching: Unleash the science of learning. Jossey-Bass.
Lang, J. M. (2016). Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning. Jossey-Bass.
Rohrer, D., & Taylor, K. (2006). The effects of overlearning and distributed practice on the retention of mathematics knowledge. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20, 1209-1224.
Taylor, K., & Rohrer, D. (2010). The effects of interleaved practice. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 24, 837-848.
Read original article: https://weiliwei.netlify.app/post/2021-01-31-read-with-me-unraveling-the-secret-behind-spacing-and-interleaving/