My Favorite Learning Research from 2022 | Retrieval Practice vs Generative Learning
Memory Before Meaning: The Science of Sequencing
What if the order in which you apply learning strategies matters more than the strategies themselves?
Most educators focus on finding the "best" teaching techniques, but groundbreaking research suggests we've been asking the wrong question all along. The real question isn't which strategy is superior, but rather when each strategy should be deployed along the natural learning trajectory.
In education, we often treat learning as an event rather than what it truly is: a complex process that unfolds in distinct stages. Students must first build surface-level knowledge before organizing those facts into coherent concepts. The techniques that excel at one stage may actually impede progress at another – a critical insight many professional development programs miss entirely.
In this video, I explore what I consider the most important educational research published in 2022.
Research: Sequence matters! Retrieval practice before generative learning is more effective than the reverse order (Roelle, 2022)
This study delivers compelling evidence that will transform how you structure your lessons.
Some key insights you'll discover in this video include:
-- Why the learning trajectory matters more than individual techniques — and how misaligning strategies can undermine student progress
-- The surprising 62% knowledge gain when retrieval practice precedes generative learning (compared to just 50% when reversed)
-- How to identify which stage of learning your students are in and match your teaching approach accordingly
-- Why the "one best method" approach to education is fundamentally flawed – whether that's IB, PBL, or any other single system
-- The false debate between knowledge-rich curriculum and problem-based learning – and when each actually serves students best
The evidence is clear: there are no universally "best practices" that work across all contexts. Instead, effective teaching requires understanding where your students are in their learning journey and selecting strategies that align with their current stage.
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JARED COONEY HORVATH | PhD, MEd
Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath is an award-winning cognitive neuroscientist, best-selling author and renowned keynote speaker with an expertise in human learning, memory, and brain stimulation.
Dr. Horvath has published 4 books, over 30 research articles, and currently serves as an honorary researcher at the University of Melbourne and St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne.
His research has been featured in popular publications including The New York Times, WIRED, BBC, The Economist, PBS's Nova and ABC’s Catalyst.
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LME GLOBAL
LME Global is a mission-driven company aiming to serve teachers, students and educators through applied brain science.