{"id":1589,"date":"2016-05-02T05:30:14","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T13:30:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/iiqbal\/?p=1589"},"modified":"2017-02-18T09:58:20","modified_gmt":"2017-02-18T17:58:20","slug":"retrieval-practice-5-key-messages-from-small-teaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/iiqbal\/2016\/05\/02\/retrieval-practice-5-key-messages-from-small-teaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Retrieval practice: 5 key messages from \u201cSmall Teaching\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently read \u201cSmall teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning,\u201d an excellent book1<\/sup> by Dr. James Lang. To help me remember what I read and as a way of sharing some key messages from the book with a broader audience, I have decided to write some blog posts on select concepts. This first post is about retrieval practice<\/strong> (see here for an entire site<\/a>\u00a0created by Dr. Agarwal and devoted to the topic).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more times any of us practice remembering something we are trying to learn, the more firmly we lodge it in our memories for the long term.\u201d (Lang, 2016, p.20)<\/p>\n

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\n5 Key Messages about Retrieval Practice from\u00a0Small Teaching<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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  1. Students\u2019 learning is enhanced when students are given opportunities to practice remembering.<\/li>\n
  2. Give students multiple<\/em> chances to practice remembering (i.e., frequency matters).<\/li>\n
  3. As you design and select retrieval practices to give your students, make sure they are aligned with the high-stakes assessments you will be giving during the course. For example, if your students\u2019 final exam (accounting for a significant portion of their marks) involves multiple choice questions (MCQs), make sure you give in-class retrieval practices that allow students to practice MCQs.<\/li>\n
  4. When possible, use retrieval practices that involve writing and not\u00a0only on oral practice. The former enhances learning and also means that everyone has to participate.<\/li>\n
  5. If you are asking a retrieval question during class, remind your students not to look for an answer in their notes or textbook. When students draw information from their brain, this helps their long-term retention.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    For more information on the science of learning and a host of ideas on how to implement small teaching, get the book!<\/p>\n

    You can also read posts on small teaching by James Lang here:<\/p>\n