Distributed Practice Promotes Learning that Lasts

Bill Blynt
May 31, 2010

Much has been written regarding the learning effect of massed practice versus distributed (sometimes referred to as spaced) practice. Research on the subject is quite abundant with many different examinations of the subject conducted beginning in 1885 with Hermann Ebbinghaus. In the final meta-analysis of the research it is clear that distributed practice is far more effective than massed practice in terms of long-term memory recall. Although studies show that massed practice is effective in the short term, the drop off rate of the learning is tremendous. Because massed practice shows strong initial results, people commonly over-estimate its value whereas the long-term impact of distributed practice is often under-estimated. When practice is distributed over time, individuals are able to learn information or a skill more thoroughly and retain it longer.

Because massed practice can produce positive results in the short-haul, it is easy to over-estimate how well students have mastered the material or learned a skill. Practicing a skill in a concentrated period of time or cramming for an exam seems to give better performance initially; however, most of the learning quickly fades away. This type of practice does not lead to long-term learning. It is only when multiple opportunities to practice are provided to learners that they are able to move this learning from short-term memory to long-term memory. In order to learn new knowledge or a skill for the long-term, distributing practice over multiple days or even weeks shows the greatest long-term impact. It is our goal in education that students learn essential content for the long-term. There exists a great deal of evidence that supports the concept that distributing practice over time leads to deeper understanding, increased retention and the ability to transfer the essential knowledge and skills to new situations.

The consistent use of distributed practice benefits all students, from primary age to those in college. According to a meta-analysis conducted by John Donovan and David Radosevich (1999), the effect size for distributed practice can run as high as d = .42. This means that the average person getting distributed practice will experience a 67% memory increase over those using just massed practice. Providing students with multiple learning opportunities distributed over a lesson, spaced out over days and embedded in a structured review format will best lead to the acquisition and retention of new content or proficiency with a new skill.

How can this research on distributed practice be applied to schools? Here are some ideas to think about:

Structured Review - Along with distributing practice opportunities in lessons, consider stopping every six weeks or so and having students process key ideas from that chunk of time. Have them participate in a series of activities that require them to recall core content and make connections between the topics taught.

Homework - Along with the current content, begin to integrate some questions that require them to access and use material taught in previous topics. Give them ‘homework' that provides multiple opportunities for practice on all the skills and content not just that days lesson. This will give them practice spaced out over time before they are asked to demonstrate understanding on the exam.

Bell Work - Do not just use this time to review the current days material. Structure some of the questions or activities around material presented in previous weeks or even months.

Exams - Explain to students that your unit exams will begin to have a limited number of questions from previous topics. Begin by telling them what topics are fair game but gradually require them to be prepared for anything. Be sure questions from previous topics are focused on the most essential content.

Study Hints - Give them information on the distributed practice research. Continuously provide a structure that requires them to review for unit exams in chunks rather than as one large ‘cram' session. Focus their practice on the most difficult material from the past and give them ‘homework' that provides multiple opportunities for practice before an exam.

Sources:

Visible Learning, John Hattie

American Educator, "How We Learn- Allocating Student Study Time", Daniel Willingham, Summer 2002

Smart Kit, "Accelerated Learning and Improved Memory via Distributed Practice", 2007

"How to Practice Effectively", F. McPherson, 2001