Further+summary+of+the+Benedict+Carey+article

  Here is what the research says //does// work when studying:  **// Varying study location //** – Alternating between two rooms while studying significantly improves retention. A classic 1978 study found that college students who studied 40 vocabulary words first in one room and then in another did far better on a post-test than students who studied the words two times in a single location. Subsequent studies have replicated this finding for a variety of subjects. “The brain makes subtle associations between what it is studying and the background sensations it has at the time…” says Carey. Forcing the brain to make multiple associations with the same material may, in effect, give the information more neural scaffolding.”  **// Mixed content //** – Studying distinct but related skills or concepts in one sitting improves retention. “Musicians have known this for years,” says Carey, “and their practice sessions often include a mix of scales, musical pieces and rhythmic work. Many athletes, too, routinely mix their workouts with strength, speed and skill drills.” In a recent study in //Applied Cognitive Psychology//, University of South Florida researchers Doug Rohrer and Kelli Taylor reported on a study of fourth graders’ retention of geometry concepts. Those who studied a mixture of problems scored 77% on a follow-up test, compared to 38% for students who focused on one kind of problem. “When students see a list of problems, all of the same kind, they know the strategy to use before they even read the problem,” says Rohrer. “That’s like riding a bike with training wheels.”  **// Spaced studying //** – “An hour of study tonight, an hour on the weekend, another session a week from now,” says Carey, is a highly effective study strategy. Dozens of studies have shown that spacing improves later recall for the same amount of time. “The idea is that forgetting is the friend of learning,” says Williams College psychologist Nate Kornell. “When you forget something, it allows you to relearn, and do so effectively, the next time you see it.” Last-minute cramming, on the other hand, may help pass a test the next day but is ineffective for long-term memory. When a neural suitcase is packed carefully and gradually, it holds its contents far, far longer.”  **// Frequent assessment with feedback //** – “The process of retrieving an idea is not like pulling a book from a shelf,” says Carey. “It seems to fundamentally alter the way the information is subsequently stored, making it far more accessible in the future.” Washington University/St. Louis psychologist Henry Roediger agrees: “Testing not only measures knowledge but changes it,” he says. Roediger and his colleague Jeffrey Karpicke had college students study science material and tested them for retention. One group studied the same material twice, in two study sessions. The other studied once, and in the second session took a practice test. The second group had far better long-term retention.  **// Challenge //** – It turns out that a difficult test is better for long-term memory than an easy one. “The harder it is to remember something, the harder it is to later forget,” says Carey. “…The more mental sweat it takes to dig it out, the more securely it will be subsequently anchored.” Researchers call this “desirable difficulty.”