Exam 2

Kang & Pashler (2012): Does interleaving boost learning thru discriminative contrast

- Blocked by artist - Different artists presented simultaneously - Interleaved across artists Result: Interleaving boosted learning and there was support for the discriminative contrast explanation

Rohrer & Taylor (2007): Does interleaving boost learning?

- Blocked group: all wedges, spheroid, comes, etc. - Interleaving group: wedge, spheroid, cone, wedge Results: Memorizing formula isn't enough. Interleaving let's you know which you need to use which formula. Interleaving was much better long term. Blocked was better during practice but interleaving was better during exam.

What does spacing work?

- Context Cues (contextual variability theory in the green textbook) - New Theory of Disuse (similar to study-phrase retrieval theory in green textbook)

What is spacing good for?

- Course materials (Flashcards, readings) - Creativity - Physical Skills

Birnhabum et al. (2013): Does interleaving improve learning thru discriminative contrast?

- Interleaved - Group Trivia - Alternative Trivia Result: Interleaving is much less effective if it is difficult to compare and contrast categories.

Name 3 Research that talked about spacing

- Miyatsu et al (2019): reviews research showing benefits of spacing out rereading - Kornell (2019): Spacing flash cards of GRE words (effulgence-brilliant) boost memory, but ppl think massing works better - Chapter 8 of effective strategies and Chapter 22 of Cambridge Handbook

How do you space when you're cramming the night before?

- Take 10 min breaks - Alternate topics and return to old ones - Use biggest pile of flash cards you can - Study some night before and morning of

Retrieval Practice

Recalling info from memory rather than hearing or reading it (Flashcards, explaining to friend, draw diagram from memory, summarize, etc.)

Rohrer et al. (2010): Can retrieval practice help you remember visual info?

Redrawing maps, 4th and 5th graders Two types of tests - Standard: matched each city with its location on an unlabeled map - Transfer: received an unlabeled map and answer questions like, "if you drive from Ross to Boyl along the shortest possible path which city do you pass thru? Result: Test enhanced memory and application of visual info

Baddeley and Longman (1979): Does spacing help with motor skill learning, too?

Result: More spacing was better for learning but workers hated it.

Kapler et al. (2015): Does increasing spacing make exam reviews more effective?

Students watched 45-minute lecture on metrology. Short lag: 1 day after lecture Long lag: 8 days after lecture (Final test given 35 days after the review) Result: Longer lag led to more factual and conceptual learning

Smith, Glenberg & Bjork (1978)

Study a list of words. Then, free recall. Some participants only studied in room A. Only have cues in blue and green circle overlap to help remember. Study in Room A and B. Have cues in blue and green overlap as well as orange and green to help remember. You are essentially getting more cues

Incubation Effect

Taking time away from a difficult problem once you're stuck can help you come up with creative and insightful solution later. Segal (2004) dug more into it.

Lag

The amount of time between spaced study opportunities

Segal (2004): How does taking a break after getting stuck on a problem affect your ability to creatively solve that problem?

The researcher divided participants into groups. Some waited 4 mins with crossword or puzzle. Others waited 12 mins with crossword or puzzle. - Demanding task (Crossword) - Non demanding task (Newspaper) Result: Spacing boost creativity. Taking a break and thinking about something totally different can increase the likelihood you'll solve a tricky problem.

Ryc & Rawson (2019): Does increasing spacing make practice more difficult but long term memory better?

They practiced flashcards Short lag group: about 1 min between rep Long lag group: about 6 mins between rep Researchers measured their retrieval strength by the time of their response During practice: more spacing = low retrieval strength On the test: more spacing = higher storage strength

Why is retrieval practice effective? Name and explain the theory.

Transfer appropriate processing: memory is best when the way you study matches the way you will be tested. Not about the test format but rather the type of thinking.

Blaisman (2017): How does spaced review of materials in class affect learning?

Two groups: Controlled: No review at start or class, just review before exam. Spaced Review: Quickly review key concepts at start of each class. It included from previous lecture and a randomly chosen topic from earlier in the course. (The amount of review is the same but just different amount of spacing) Results: Spacing concept reviews over semester enhanced learning

Spacing

When you repeatedly study the same information spread out over time

Context Cues

Where you're studying and how you're feeling when you're studying can also be cues. If you're in a similar place or similar mood on the test, these cues from studying can help you recall info on the tests. (Matching Cues) But context cues don't help as much as cues that come from elaboration. Smith, Glenberg & Bjorne (1978) gives more in depth about this.

What is retrieval practice good for?

A. Strengthening your memory for info B. Preventing forgetting of that info C. Sometimes helps you strengthen your memory for related info

Why does interleaving work?

Blocking examples or problems by topic helps you notice how things from same category are related. Discriminative contrast: studying easily confusable samples or problems one after another. It helps you notice key difference and ignore Irrelevant differences.

How much should I space?

For unit exams, revisit material every few days. For final, revisit materials weekly.

Yazdani & Zebrowski (2006): Does spacing homework problems affect learning from homework?

Gave different homework schedules. - Massed: All homework problems due the day after class. - Spaced: Same homework problems spread out over 24 days Final test at the end of unit, 6 weeks later. Results: Spread out homework over multiple days lead to more learning that lasted for a long time. The space scored better both in Unit Test and Follow up Test.

Wagner et al. (2004): Is sleeping the best way to space to boost creativity?

Groups: - Wake day - Wake night - Sleep Result: Spacing by sleeping tripled the number of ppl figuring out a tricky problem

McDermott et al. (2014): Does retrieval practice enhance memory in real life?

Info was repeated the next day - As a fact question - As a fact presented again Results: Quizzes were the most effective way to review using the same amount of time

New theory of disuse

Information in your mind have 2 types of memory strength. - Storage strength: how well you really know the information. - Retrieval strength: How easy it is to get it out of your mind. We want the storage strength to be high, but the only way to get there is to study when retrieval strength is low. Cramming gives high retrieval but storage strength is small. Spacing gives low retrieval when studying but the boost in storage strength is larger

Interleaving

Mix up questions/ examples of individual topic Strategic spacing Use in between spaced studying to study other easily confusable info.

Successive Relearning

Multiple successful retrieval on multiple days. (At least 3 times each session and for multiple days or session).

Rowland (2014): how much more likely are you to remember information if you practice with retrieval vs. restudying/rereading?

2.5 times more likely!