Scientists told how to better remember information and keep it in memory longer

Scientists from the University of Iowa (USA) held meta-analysis of more than 200 studies on educational techniques over the past 100 years. Their task was to test the effectiveness of two techniques: interval practice and extraction.

interval practice

The approach involves regular and gradual study of the material in small portions - as opposed to the desire to learn everything the night before the exam, which many students are used to. In the process, the student recalls the previous material and reinforces it with new knowledge.

In one of the studies analyzed, medical students were divided into two groups. One of them completed an intensive course in surgery in a day, the second learned the same material gradually over three weeks with the same number of teaching hours. At the exams, which were held first two weeks later, and then a year later, the second group coped with the same task better than the first.

In interval practice, there are no clear indications of the intervals between classes. But it is known that this method works best when a person has already begun to forget the material - but has not yet completely forgotten it. We need a golden mean.

Extraction practice

This is an approach that allows you to recall and refresh previously studied material. It can be presented in different formats: flashcards, practice exams or freeform prompts. In the course of work, the student must turn to his knowledge, find gaps and then fill them. Learning is most effective when the student immediately checks his answers for errors and receives feedback from the teacher.

This gap-filling strategy works better than simply rereading textbooks or notes. And by combining interval practice with extraction, you can achieve better results in storing information for a long time.

Easy doesn't mean effective

Psychology professor Shayna Carpenter, lead author of the study, notes that these techniques have not yet been widely adopted. But if teachers used them more often, we would see significant improvements in education. She added that forgetting is a completely natural process, and it is impossible to completely stop forgetting. But it can be done more slowly if you learn using the described techniques and not be afraid of difficulties.

Reading a textbook and highlighting definitions with a marker is more pleasant than solving practical problems and answering questions in detail. But without the knowledge check that comes with constant recourse to learned information, it's easy to fall into the "learning illusion," as the authors call it. This is the very situation when you seem to be reading and teaching, but the teacher has nothing to answer the question.

People do not like to admit their mistakes and see that they understand something worse than they thought. This can cause self-doubt, fear of failure, and other negative emotions that a person tends to avoid. But we must remember that sooner or later you will have to face this - only already in the classroom or on the exam, when the stakes are much higher. Therefore, it is better to find the gaps right away and close them before it becomes a problem.