Retrieval Practice

Assessment causes learning

One of the well known consequences of having students deliberately recall information (right before they forget it) strengthens the memory - this was previously called the testing effect, but due to bad press (especially because of the tord 'testing') it has been relabeled as retrieval practice (which is a better label anyway because the retrieval does not need to happen during tests or for grades).

Related evidence:

Dr. Robert Bjork has found four strategies that he's termed "Desirable Difficulties" (not all difficulties are desirable!). They are difficulties because students struggle during the acquisition phase of learning but they are desirable because they cause the learning to be better retained in the long run.

Be careful. Not all difficulties are desirable and some difficulties only become desirable if the student have the prerequisites to successfully complete the task. Click here to read more on this.

The four Desirable Difficulties are:

1. Spaced practice (rather than cramming)

2. Introducing variation in the conditions of learning

3. Interleaving rather than block learning

4. Intermittent feedback