Teaching Strategies: Spaced Interleave and Retrieval Practice

Introduction

• David Maconis, a classroom teacher from Bentley West Primary School in Melbourne, discusses spaced interleave and retrieval practice in teaching.
• He shares his experiences and methods to help students remember information for longer periods.

Bentley West Primary School's Philosophy

• The school operates under the assumption that schools are there to teach biologically secondary knowledge.
• Biologically secondary knowledge requires explicit guidance or teaching, whereas biologically primary knowledge is innate.
• Examples of biologically secondary knowledge include reading, print systems, and languages.

Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI)

• EDI is a pedagogical model used at Bentley West Primary School.
• It involves teacher-led instruction, constant checking for understanding, and active recall of prior knowledge.
• The model includes skill closure and ensures at least 80% mastery before moving to independent practice.

Definition of Learning

• At Bentley West Primary School, learning is defined as the transfer to long-term memory.
• It focuses on long-term retention rather than short-term performance.

Space Practice

• Space practice, also known as spaced repetition, involves studying regularly rather than cramming.
• It helps to retain information for longer periods and strengthen memories.
• Research shows that cramming may lead to short-term success, but spaced practice leads to better long-term retention.

Interleave Practice

• Interleave practice involves studying a variety of topics in a single study session.
• It helps to strengthen memories and promote better retention.
• Interleave practice helps to minimize the negative effects of cramming.

Retrieval Practice

• Retrieval practice involves bringing information from long-term memory to working memory.
• It strengthens memories and makes them more durable.
• Retrieval practice can take many forms, including daily reviews, quizzes, and diagram labeling.

Daily Reviews

• Daily reviews are PowerPoint presentations that review previously taught material.
• They are short, regular sessions that cover a wide range of topics.
• Daily reviews incorporate spaced practice, interleaved practice, and retrieval practice.

Features of Daily Reviews

• Daily reviews include short explanations, embedded differentiation, and a quick pace.
• They are planned and adapted from lesson plans, and topics are regularly added and removed.

Planning for Daily Reviews

• Teachers plan and create lessons using EDI, then adapt the slides for daily reviews.
• A spreadsheet is used to track what topics are in or out of the review and how long they have been out for.

Recite, Recall, Apply Framework

• The recite stage involves students reciting information.
• The recall stage involves students remembering information and responding orally.
• The apply stage involves students using the information to answer independent questions.
• This framework is used to structure daily review slides.### Teaching Strategies for Effective Learning
• The teacher uses a "recite, recall, apply" approach to teach students:
  • Recite: Students recite information together as a class to reinforce learning
  • Recall: Students recall information from memory without looking at notes or resources
  • Apply: Students apply what they've learned to new situations or problems
• The teacher uses a PowerPoint presentation to facilitate the "recite, recall, apply" approach, with each slide building on previous information
• The teacher emphasizes the importance of minimizing cognitive overload by:
  • Using simple animations and transitions
  • Avoiding cluttered slides
  • Using short, concise text
• The teacher suggests using the "notes" section of PowerPoint to provide additional information or explanations for teachers, but not for students

The Power of Spaced, Interleaved, and Retrieval Practice

• Spaced practice: Breaking learning into shorter sessions with breaks in between, rather than cramming all learning into one session
• Interleaved practice: Switching between different topics or skills to help students understand relationships between them
• Retrieval practice: Actively recalling information from memory to strengthen learning and improve retention
• The teacher suggests that these strategies can be applied to any learning, including learning a new instrument or language

Tips for Using PowerPoint Effectively

• Use the "appear" animation to minimize distractions
• Avoid using too many animations or transitions
• Use short, concise text and avoid cluttered slides
• Use the "notes" section to provide additional information for teachers
• Inject personality into slides, but be careful not to distract from the learning

Recommended Resources

• Books:
  • "Understanding How We Learn" by John Weinstein and Megan Sumaraki
  • "Dual Coding with Teachers" by Oliver Caviglioli
  • "Rosenstein's Principles in Action" by Oliver Caviglioli
• Blogs:
  • John Kenny's blog
• Podcasts:
  • The Education Research Reading Room podcast by Ollie Lavelle

Bentley West Primary School's Philosophy

• Schools exist to teach biologically secondary knowledge, which requires explicit guidance or teaching, unlike biologically primary knowledge which is innate.
• Examples of biologically secondary knowledge include reading, print systems, and languages.

Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI)

• EDI is a pedagogical model used at Bentley West Primary School, involving teacher-led instruction and constant checking for understanding.
• EDI ensures at least 80% mastery before moving to independent practice through skill closure.

Definition of Learning

• Learning is defined as the transfer to long-term memory, focusing on long-term retention rather than short-term performance.

Space Practice

• Spaced practice, also known as spaced repetition, involves studying regularly rather than cramming to retain information for longer periods and strengthen memories.
• Research shows that cramming may lead to short-term success, but spaced practice leads to better long-term retention.

Interleave Practice

• Interleave practice involves studying a variety of topics in a single study session, strengthening memories and promoting better retention.
• Interleave practice helps to minimize the negative effects of cramming.

Retrieval Practice

• Retrieval practice involves bringing information from long-term memory to working memory, strengthening memories and making them more durable.
• Retrieval practice can take many forms, including daily reviews, quizzes, and diagram labeling.

Daily Reviews

• Daily reviews are short, regular sessions that cover a wide range of topics, incorporating spaced practice, interleaved practice, and retrieval practice.
• Daily reviews include short explanations, embedded differentiation, and a quick pace.

Planning for Daily Reviews

• Teachers plan and create lessons using EDI and adapt the slides for daily reviews.
• A spreadsheet is used to track what topics are in or out of the review and how long they have been out for.

Recite, Recall, Apply Framework

• The recite stage involves students reciting information.
• The recall stage involves students remembering information and responding orally.
• The apply stage involves students using the information to answer independent questions.

Teaching Strategies for Effective Learning

• The teacher uses a "recite, recall, apply" approach to teach students, structuring daily review slides accordingly.
• The teacher minimizes cognitive overload by using simple animations and transitions, avoiding cluttered slides, and using short, concise text.

The Power of Spaced, Interleaved, and Retrieval Practice

• Spaced practice breaks learning into shorter sessions with breaks in between to retain information for longer periods.
• Interleave practice strengthens memories and promotes better retention by studying a variety of topics in one session.
• Retrieval practice strengthens memories and makes them more durable by bringing information from long-term memory to working memory.