#retrieval practice

Book in one sentence: The study methods that feel most productive (rereading, highlighting, cramming) are among the least effective, and the strategies that feel hardest are the ones that actually build lasting skill. What Is Make It Stick About?Why Do Our Go-To Learning Methods Fail?What Actually Works: The Core StrategiesHow Does This Apply to Changing Eating Behavior?Is Make It Stick Worth…

Great new article via @abowdenj - Criss Crossing in the Classroom: Crossword Puzzles as a Strategy for Retrieval and Retention - Now also at

A crossword is a word puzzle that typically forms a grid of squares, which are filled with letters forming words or phrases. The person completing the crossword needs to solve clues in order to get the correct answers. The correct words and phrases are normally placed “across” the grid (left to right) and “down” the grid (top to bottom). However, I am sure crossword aficionados would point out…

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll immediately forget what you taught him. But teach a man to fish, take notes, and review them at key after-fishing intervals, and you feed him for a lifetime.

In Defence of Card Sorts: 6 ways they can aid learning - New #UKEdChat article by @abowdenj now at

Over the years I have heard countless colleagues criticise card sorts. Some of this is pedagogical, in that there are better ways to retrieve knowledge and check to understand, and some of this is practical, especially as making card sorts is so time-consuming.  Despite the above, I believe card sorts are an excellent way to recall core knowledge and further pupils’ understanding of taught…

New fantastic article by @abowdenj - Using the generation effect as Retrieval Practice: some simple ideas for the classroom - Now at

The generation effect is the idea that information will be better retained in the long-term memory if it is actively generated rather than simply read. Cognitive scientist Robert Bjork (n.d.) argues that tasks getting pupils to generate words rather than merely reading them have a longer-lasting and more robust impact on learning. For instance, learners are more likely to remember the word…