The Testing Effect & Retrieval practice: the number 1 study hack
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In this video I’m going to tell you about retrieval practice (or self-testing), which is a very powerful aid to your memory that you should be habitually using in your approach to studying to get the best results from your efforts. I’ll explain what retrieval practice is, why I think it works so well and give you some simple advice on how you can use it.
00:00 - Start
00:33 - The testing effect: the basis of retrieval practice01:13 - Isn’t retrieval practice just learning to the test?
02:37 - Why retrieval practice works
04:00 - I don’t do well on tests: they don’t seem to work for me
05:44 - Use 3R to incorporate retrieval practice into your studying
07:53 - Is there anything I should keep in mind when using retrieval practice.
References:
Bjork, E. L., & Bjork, R. A. (2011). Making things hard on yourself, but in a good way: Creating desirable difficulties to enhance learning. Psychology and the real world: Essays illustrating fundamental contributions to society, 2(59-68).
Butler, A. C. (2010). Repeated testing produces superior transfer of learning relative to repeated studying. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36(5), 1118.
Butler, A. C., Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger III, H. L. (2008). Correcting a metacognitive error: feedback increases retention of low-confidence correct responses. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 34(4), 918.
Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(9), 496-511.
Endres, T., & Renkl, A. (2015). Mechanisms behind the testing effect: an empirical investigation of retrieval practice in meaningful learning. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1054.
Kornell, N., & Vaughn, K. E. (2016). How retrieval attempts affect learning: A review and synthesis. Psychology of learning and motivation, 65, 183-215.
Latimier, A., Peyre, H., & Ramus, F. (2021). A meta-analytic review of the benefit of spacing out retrieval practice episodes on retention. Educational Psychology Review, 33, 959-987.
McDaniel, M. A., Howard, D. C., & Einstein, G. O. (2009). The read-recite-review study strategy: Effective and portable. Psychological Science, 20(4), 516-522.
Soderstrom, N. C., & Bjork, R. A. (2015). Learning versus performance: An integrative review. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 176-199.