How We Learn
A personal journey into how we learn and communicating the science behind learning.
Spacing
The big idea here is that spacing allows us time to start to forget information. This forgetting and then retrieving again causes the brain to strengthen and broaden the connection.
What is Spacing?
Spacing is the idea that after the initial learning period we space out times where we come back to what we learned.
Making efforts to come back to important ideas that you have taught or learned is crucial to long term retention of informaiton and transfering that knowledge.
Spacing and Retrieval Practice
Spacing works very well when combined with a low stakes, no stakes retrieval practice activity.
How Does Spacing Work
One reason is spacing allows time for you to forget. Now this might sound strange, but forgetting is an important part of learning. Ideas slowly fade away and this fading away is what is important.
As a memory fades we lose fine details about it. This forgetting of fine details allows for you to think about a concept in more general terms.
As you retrieve it again at a later time you bring up a more general idea and apply it to the new context you are using it in. This is called abstraction.
The term abstraction means generalization, or is somethign that is less "concrete" or detailed.
Making efforts to come back to important ideas that you have taught or learned is crucial to long term retention of informaiton and transfering that knowledge.
Spacing helps create Desirable Difficluties.
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Difficulties that are not too hard, so students get frustrated or give up.
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Difficulties that are not too easy so students aren't primed for learning.
Spacing also supports memory Consolidation.
Consolidation is the process by which the brain changes physically and chemically to encode long term memories. This happens when:
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You sleep
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You exercise
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Anytime you relax or change your focus.
Spaced vs. Massed Practice
Massed Practice
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Students study hard and fast.
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Remember for a short time
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Forget quickly
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Can lead to the Illusion of Knowledge
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Can make student overconfident and unprepared in the future.
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Can lead to confusion and self doubt.
Spaced Practice
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Students recall information over time.
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Practice times are generally shorter and quicker.
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Helps shatter the Illusion of Knowledge.
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Desireable difficulties are part of a healthy growth mindset.
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Helps students create realistic understandings of what they know and don't.
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Usually helps students gain deeper more complex understandings of knowledge.
If you want to learn more about Spacing:
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https://psychology.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-resources/academic-writing-resources/effective-studying/spaced-practice.html
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https://www.oxfordlearning.com/what-is-spaced-practice/