Publications

RETRIEVAL-BASED LEARNING: THE BEST METHOD TO IMPROVE

STUDENT LEARNING

by:
Melusa S. Santos
Teacher III, Bataan School of Fisheries

Retrieval based learning, originally called the testing effect, is now accepted as
retrieval practice since there are more ways than just testing to promote retrieval.

Henry L. Roediger III states that research has shown repeatedly that, like many
plausible-sounding educational ideas, the fundamental idea behind the doctrine of
formal discipline is dead wrong and was declared dead over 100 years ago. It has been
said that formal discipline is simply rote memorization.

Retrieval practice by itself improves recall for later testing or application to new
similar situations but even this can be improved by spacing no-stakes quizzes and
interleaving. Spacing is the quizzing at regular intervals rather than one big high-stakes
quiz at the end of the learning period. Karpicke states that spaced retrieval practice took
performance from nearly total forgetting to extremely good retention (about 80 percent
correct). Interleaving is breaking a subject into parts and studying something else in the
meantime. For example in math, instead of studying addition for a week then next week
is studying subtraction for another week, you could do addition for several hours then
subtraction for several hours and return to addition.

The practice of retrieval should not be too easy for students as they will forget just
as easily. There has to be some difficulty so that students “work” at retrieving from
memory to produce durable learning.

Quizzing can take many forms from standard multiple choice question and answer
to short answer essay, to physical flashcards, to computer software generated flashcards,

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to verbal questioning and answers. Each quiz should be repeated multiple times in a
different format each time if possible. Quizzing also helps students with metacognition
or understanding what they know and don’t know and is greatly improved by providing
feedback on both correct and incorrect answers to quizzes.

The students' ability to recall and use information in different situations is referred
to learning transfer, the “extending what was learned to answer new questions, solve new
problems, or facilitate new learning.”

References:

Agarwal, Pooja K., et al. “How to Use Retrieval Practice to Improve Learning.”
Transform Teaching with the Science of Learning, 2018, retrievalpractice.org.

Karpicke, Jeffrey D., "A powerful way to improve learning and memory: Practicing
retrieval enhances long-term, meaningful learning.” American Psychological
Association, June 2016, apa.org/science/about/psa/2016/06/learning-
memory.aspx.

Pan, Steven C., and Pooja K. Agarwal. “Retrieval Practice and Transfer of
Learning” Transform Teaching with the Science of Learning, 2018,
retrievalpractice.org.

Roediger, Henry L., III. “Applying Cognitive Psychology to Education:

Translational Educational Science” Association for Psychological Science, Jan 8,
2013, journals.sagepub.com/stoken/rbtfi/Aq5/rcztl.2Gbl/full.

Roediger, Henry L. III, and Jeffrey D. Karpicke. “Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking

Memory Test Improves Long-Term Retention” Association for Psychological
Science, vol.17, number 3, 2006, p. 249,

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learninglab.psych.purdue.edu/downloads/2006_Roediger_Karpicke_PsychSci.p
df.

Sumeracki, Megan A. and Yana Weinstein. “Optimising learning using retrieval

practice” Impact: Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching,
impact.chartered.college/article/sumeracki-weinstein-optimising-learning-
retrieval-practice/

23 November 2018