Frequently Asked Questions

Retrieval practice boosts learning by pulling information out of students’ heads, rather than cramming information into students’ heads. Based on more than 100 years of research, simply retrieving what you’ve already learned further boosts your long-term learning. Keep in mind that retrieval practice is a learning strategy, not an assessment strategy. Encouraging students to retrieve with flashcards, quick writing prompts, and mini-quizzes are powerful strategies for implementing retrieval practice and transforming learning.

The mental struggle during retrieval practice strengthens learning compared to easy learning without a struggle (like cramming). Scientists call this mental struggle a “desirable difficulty.” Just like practicing an instrument, when students practice their knowledge, they remember information for the long-term. Also, retrieval practice improves students’ metacognition, their understanding of their own learning process.

Retrieval practice uses classroom time more effectively and efficiently. Think about how you use your class time. Are you sure that students are remembering what you’re teaching, or do you find yourself re-teaching the same content over and over? Swap less effective classroom activities with evidence-based retrieval practice strategies. You’ll actually save time because students will remember more and you can re-teach less.

The more the better. Practice makes perfect, and the more the retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback the harder it is to forget information. In addition, spacing it out makes retrieval more challenging, and the more challenging the retrieval practice, the better. Students might forget in between spaced sessions – that’s normal. Students will also improve their learning more quickly each time they engage in retrieval practice.

Retrieval practice is most robust if it takes place after a lesson. Students and educators should be encouraged to know that there isn’t an “optimal timing;” the precise schedule of retrieval practice can be flexible. Instead of giving students homework on what they learned in class earlier that day, challenge them by providing retrieval activities on content learned the prior week, another feature of spaced retrieval practice.

If you can, yes. Feedback corrects retrieval mistakes and it improves students’ metacognition: how students think about and reflect on their own learning. Without feedback, students don’t know what they got correct and what they got incorrect during retrieval practice. Research demonstrates that the more elaborate the feedback (e.g., with explanations), the more powerful it is for student learning.

But feedback does not mean more work for you! You don’t have to grade retrieval practice at all. You could simply discuss the answers and have students self-grade their own retrieval practice. Also, research demonstrates that retrieval practice without feedback is more beneficial for learning than no retrieval at all.

No, in fact, you don’t need to grade retrieval practice at all. Low-stakes retrieval practice without points or a grade decreases student anxiety. It emphasizes that retrieval practice is a learning strategy, not an assessment tool. Students will feel less pressured and more comfortable when making mistakes (which is good for learning), you can implement challenging retrieval practice without worrying about negative consequences to grades (and you’ll likely see grades increase), and parents won’t worry that retrieval practice is standardized testing in disguise (it’s not). Provide feedback, not grades or points, and keep it low-stakes.  

No, you can keep your classes exactly the same and still implement retrieval practice. You can teach in exactly the same way as you have been doing, just add some quick retrieval opportunities to help students get information “out.”

In research from 50 experiments in real classrooms, students’ long-term learning dramatically improved when their lessons or lectures included retrieval practice, compared to the exact same lessons without retrieval practice. In other words, researchers did not change the curricula, course designs, or textbooks in order to demonstrate large benefits from retrieval practice on student learning.

No, retrieval practice decreases test anxiety. Students not only become used to the process of retrieval, but because learning increases, they become more comfortable with course content and less anxious about upcoming exams. Our surveys of middle school and high school students confirmed that 72% of students reported a decrease in test anxiety by the end of the school year.

All of the above. Research demonstrates that both multiple-choice and short answer retrieval practice enhance learning. In classroom research, the retrieval benefits from multiple-choice vs. short answer quizzes appear to be similar. In other words, use what's easiest for you. Computer software, online websites, and mobile apps are typically used for multiple-choice questions. Short answer writing prompts that are quick to complete and easy to follow up with feedback are also very beneficial for students’ long-term learning. 

Yes. When students engage in retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback as learning strategies, research demonstrates that these strategies improve complex thinking and application skills; organization of knowledge; and transfer of knowledge.

In other words, retrieval practice doesn’t just lead to memorization – it increases understanding. Students can adapt their knowledge to new situations, novel questions, and related contexts.

Use a variety of question types. Research demonstrates that both “lower order” and “higher order” retrieval practice boosts learning. If you want to boost fact learning, use fact-based questions. If you want to enhance complex thinking skills, use concept-based and higher order questions. We recommend using a mix or range of difficulty levels.