Effective Learning & Teaching Methods | Teachers Know
Rereading and highlighting can support orientation or organization, but research reviews generally rate them as lower-utility strategies when used alone for durable retention. Feeling familiar with material is not the same as being able to retrieve or apply it later.
Retrieval practice and distributed practice have broad evidence, while interleaving, elaboration, and visual representations depend more strongly on the material, learner knowledge, feedback, and task. Productive challenge should be relevant and manageable, not difficulty for its own sake.
Evidence and official guidance used for this page [1–3]
Key Takeaways
- Retrieval practice asks you to recall or use information before checking the answer; it often improves later retention.
- Spacing distributes study over time, but useful intervals depend on the material and when the knowledge must be retained.
- Interleaving can help learners choose between related strategies, although blocked practice may still help during initial acquisition.
- Elaboration and self-explanation connect new ideas to prior knowledge when explanations are checked for accuracy.
- Highlighting or rereading can be useful supports, but should not be the only evidence that learning has occurred.
1. Retrieval Practice: Recall Before Review
Trying to retrieve a fact, explanation, or procedure can strengthen later access to that information. The size of the benefit depends on the task, delay, prior knowledge, and whether errors are corrected.
Useful formats include closed-book questions, flashcards, practice problems, or a brief summary from memory followed by comparison with a reliable answer. Feedback is especially important when an incorrect response might otherwise be repeated.
- Answer before revealing a flashcard.
- Write what you remember, then identify omissions and errors using the source.
- Solve a representative problem without the worked solution, then compare each step.
2. Space and Mix Practice Deliberately
Spacing study across more than one session generally supports longer retention better than concentrating the same practice at once. Spacing is physiologically tied to memory consolidation, which depends on restorative circadian sleep cycles and restorative rest.
- Spread study over days or weeks rather than concentrating it the night before.
- Combine spacing with retrieval practice rather than passive re-reading.
- Adjust gaps to the study schedule and material; optimal intervals vary.
3. Manage Cognitive Load and Use Concrete Examples
Working memory is limited. When learning new concepts, break complex tasks into smaller sub-goals, study worked examples, and pair diagrams with concise spoken or written text.
Words and well-designed visuals can provide complementary representations. Visuals help when they clarify spatial, structural, or sequential relationships; decorative or overloaded graphics can distract instead.
4. Interactive Practice with the Learn Better Tool
Put these cognitive science principles into immediate practice. Our Learn Better tool provides interactive Active Recall self-testing, Spaced Repetition interval calculations, and structured study session timers (Focus · Recall · Break).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can rereading feel productive?
Repeated exposure increases familiarity and fluency, which can be mistaken for recall or transfer. Use a closed-book question or application task to test what is actually accessible.
How long should spacing intervals be?
There is no single evidence-based calendar for every goal. Start with multiple sessions separated by time, retrieve before reviewing, and lengthen or shorten the next interval based on accuracy and the date of the real assessment or use.
Should teaching match visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learning styles?
People have preferences and different abilities, but reviews have not found adequate evidence for improving outcomes by matching instruction to a diagnosed “learning style.” Use formats that fit the content and accessibility needs rather than labeling the learner.
Sources & Scientific References
- Dunlosky, J., et al. - Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques (Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013)
- Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. - The Power of Testing Memory: Basic Research and Implications for Educational Practice (Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2006)
- Pashler, H., et al. - Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence (Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2009)