Considerations for Applying Six Strategies for Effective Learning to Instruction
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MEETING REPORT
Considerations for Applying Six Strategies for Effective Learning to Instruction Cynthia Nebel 1 Accepted: 21 September 2020 # International Association of Medical Science Educators 2020
Cognitive psychologists study memory, attention, and perception. By gaining an understanding of these basic processes, we are able to develop teaching and learning strategies that maximize knowledge retention and transfer. After decades of research, cognitive psychologists have identified six strategies with considerable experimental evidence to support their use [9]. These six strategies include spaced practice, interleaving, elaboration, concrete examples, dual coding, and retrieval practice. Below I describe each of these strategies but also caution the reader to consider how any particular strategy is utilized in a learning activity. The key to effective learning is understanding the underlying mechanism—understanding how the learner is mentally engaged in the learning process. The first of the six strategies is spaced practice. Spaced practice is a strategy in which study sessions are separated in time instead of being massed into a single session [1]. For example, long-term retention will be improved if a student studied for one hour every night of the week instead of seven hours the night before an exam. Interleaving often involves some amount of natural spacing, but adds an additional benefit from changing the order in which items are studied or reviewed [8]. In this way, students are more likely to recognize the similarities and differences between items or materials. Elaboration, or more specifically elaborative interrogation, involves asking “how” and “why” questions about materials [7]. This works particularly well when students can connect the elaborated information to their prior knowledge and therefore doesn’t work as well for novices [10]. A strategy that does work well with novices is the use of concrete examples, in which students are given a variety of examples using concrete information that is easier to understand and
* Cynthia Nebel [email protected] 1
Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
visualize than the abstract counterparts [2]. Dual coding is a strategy in which verbal and visual information are combined to enhance encoding [6]. That is, pictures, graphic organizers, diagrams, etc. can be effectively used in combination with verbal information. Finally, retrieval practice increases retention over and above repeated studying of information. While these six strategies have been identified as effective for learning, the manner in which they are applied does matter. As noted above, elaboration is a strategy that works more effectively with relative experts, as students need background information to elaborate on. Dual coding is useful, but if the visual and verbal information is redundant, then learning is hampered [3]. Several studies have demonstrated that the manner in which you apply retrieval practice is important for learning. In one study, elementar
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