How effective is spaced repetition?

It strengthens and consolidates memories of things it encounters regularly and frequently. So spaced repetition – revisiting information regularly at set intervals over time – makes a lot of sense. Spaced repetition is simple, but highly effective because it deliberately hacks the way your brain works.

Why spaced repetition does not work?

Spaced repetition is just a reflection of how human memory works. As such it cannot be good or bad, like gravity is neither good or bad. Many students fail this principles and their effectiveness in using spaced repetition is also undermined.

Why is spaced learning effective?

Hundreds of studies have demonstrated that spaced practice, also known as distributed learning or spaced repetition, helps students learn better. Specifically, it helps them to retain information for longer periods of time compared to sessions during which learning is “massed”, commonly known as cramming.

How does the spacing effect influence study success?

The spacing effect demonstrates that learning is more effective when study sessions are spaced out. This effect shows that more information is encoded into long-term memory by spaced study sessions, also known as spaced repetition or spaced presentation, than by massed presentation (“cramming”).

Is repetition an evidence based practice?

He looked at more than 100 studies. His conclusion was the weight of evidence showed that spaced repetition is a “highly effective means of promoting learning [over a] variety of settings and across many different types of materials and procedures.”

Which learning theory uses repetition?

According to this multiple-trace theory, repetition improves learning because finding at least one trace of an event becomes easier when there are more traces of that event in memory. A fundamental difference between these two accounts concerns the representation of the individual occurrences of a repeated item.

Is repetition the best way to study?

Repetition is a key learning aid because it helps transition a skill from the conscious to the subconscious. Through repetition, a skill is practiced and rehearsed over time and gradually becomes easier. Another important factor in learning is the ability to make connections to previously learned knowledge.

What is the best spaced repetition algorithm?

Best spaced repetition algorithms and time intervals

• SuperMemo.
• Anki.
• Leitner System.
• Half-Life Regression.

How does spaced practice improve memory?

When our brains have almost forgotten something, it makes them work harder to recall that information. Spaced learning gives your child’s brain a workout each time he or she revisits the material. In a cram session, all the information is stored in your child’s short-term memory (and quickly forgotten).

Why is spaced practice more effective than massed?

Alternative to Massed Practice: Spaced Practice The space between study sessions allows the mind to forget, which admittedly makes the study session more effortful. It is this extra effort that increases the neuropathways necessary for durable, long-term memory creation.

Is the spacing effect real?

The spacing effect is arguably the most replicable and robust finding from experimental psychology. Hundreds of articles, including a number of reviews (e.g., Dempster, 1988) and meta-analyses (e.g., Cepeda, Pashler, Vul, Wixted, & Rohrer, 2006), have found a spacing effect in a wide variety of memory tasks.

How do you do spaced repetition for studying?

These are the four steps you need to take to use spaced repetition:

1. Plan the spacing intervals of your study sessions.
2. Review and study the information for the first time.
3. Recall the information at the first spacing interval.
4. Keep recalling the information at chosen spacing intervals.

Does spaced repetition really work?

With that understanding, spaced repetition is based entirely on these principles. It’s the idea of reviewing information at gradually increasing intervals. Does Spaced Repetition Really Work? Of course, this technique is effective and well worth your time. To argue this, let’s go back to what I mentioned earlier about school.

What is spaced repetition (distributed practice)?

Spaced repetition (or distributed practice) is a time-tested educational tool, supported by over 80 years of research data. Since it increases learner retention over the same amount of study time as massed practice, distributed practice is a budget-friendly option. It works for learners of all ages.

Why is spaced repetition important for memory?

Similarly, we know that the brain preferentially stores information it deems to be important. It strengthens and consolidates memories of things it encounters regularly and frequently. So spaced repetition – revisiting information regularly at set intervals over time – makes a lot of sense.

Can spaced repetition make us evidence-based learners?

Spaced repetition is just one of the ways we can become evidence-based learners, allowing us to learn more in less time. James Gupta (@gupta_james) is a medical student at Leeds University, and the CEO of Synap, an online learning platform influenced by spaced repetition and other learning techniques.