Unlocking Motivation
The spacing-effect, first identified by Herman Ebbinghaus, states that people are more likely to recall information when the learning is spaced out instead crammed into a short time frame. A study by Vlach and Sandhoferthat tested different study schedules with elementary students found that students in the spaced learning schedule condition outperformed those in the massed or clumped conditions and also retained the information for longer than the other groups (Vlach and Sandhofer). This study shows that adopting a spaced learning schedule can help retain what you have studied for a longer period than trying to cram in information last minute.
Knowing this, what are ways you can take advantage of the spacing-effect in your study schedule? The Decision Lab helps outline how you can use spacing-effect to retain more information when you study (“Spacing Effect - the Decision Lab”).
Planning Out Your Reviews
Most classes have a final exam that covers everything in the course. Naturally, trying to study months of content a week or so before the final is going to be ineffective and stressful. Instead, you can plan out review times beforehand and slowly increase the time frame between each review session. You can start by reviewing every day, then every other day, then every week, every month, and so on until the exam. Having these review sessions planned out can help you use the spacing-effect to your advantage and remember the information without trying to recall what you learned in Unit 1 at the end of the year.
Organize and Store Information
Keep track of notes, flashcards, and other ways of tracking the information you have or need to learn. Regardless of what storage method is used, make sure to maintain and continue updating the information you have as you get more information that you need to retain.
Tracking Your Progress
Having some type of positive reinforcement or reward can help increase your motivation and encourage you to keep up the associated habit. Seeing your progress can help boost your motivation because you have a physical representation of your growth that will encourage you to keep going.
Duration Of Review
It is important to not over-review either as doing the same task for too long can decrease your attention and as a result reduce the amount of information you remember. The best method is to have 30-minute study times with breaks between sessions.
References​
Vlach, Haley A, and Catherine M Sandhofer. “Distributing learning over time: the spacing effect in children's acquisition and generalization of science concepts.” Child development vol. 83,4 (2012): 1137-44. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01781.x
“Spacing Effect - the Decision Lab.” The Decision Lab, 2023, thedecisionlab.com/biases/spacing-effect.
​