Going beyond the spacing effect: Does it matter how time on a task is distributed?

Abstract

We assessed the effects of removing some constraints that characterize traditional experiments on the effects of spaced, rather than massed, study opportunities. In five experiments—using lists of to-be-remembered words—we examined the effects of how total study time was distributed across multiple repetitions of a given to-be-remembered word. Overall, within a given list, recall profited from study time being distributed (e.g., four 1-second presentations or two 2-second presentations versus one 4-second presentation). Among the implications of these findings is that if students choose to engage in massed studying (by virtue of constraints on their study time or a failure to appreciate the benefits of spaced study sessions), then studying the information twice but for half the time may produce memory benefits in a single study session.

The Value of Using Tests in Education as Tools for Learning—Not Just for Assessment

“…However, these difficulties ultimately result in the type of learning that is highly desirable: learning that is both long-lasting and transferable. Examples of such desirable difficulties include (a) spaced or distributed practice (versus blocked or massed practice; Bjork & Allen, 1970;Cepeda et al, 2006;Greene, 2008;Karpicke & Bauernschmidt, 2011;Murphy et al, 2022); (b) contextual variation (that is, changing the conditions of practice rather than keeping them constant and predictable (Imundo et al, 2021;Smith et al, 1978); (c) interleaving (varying the topics being studied rather than studying only one over and over again before moving on to the next one (e.g., Kornell & Bjork, 2008); and (d) testing or retrieval practice (DeWinstanley & Bjork, 2004;Halamish & Bjork, 2011;Roediger & Karpicke, 2006a).…”

“…Employing frequent tests can also capture the benefits of the spacing effect: when study time is distributed rather than massed, long-term memory is improved (Bjork & Allen, 1970;Cepeda et al, 2006;Greene, 2008;Karpicke & Bauernschmidt, 2011;Murphy et al, 2022; see Carpenter, 2017 for a review). Specifically, we can induce our students to space their studying and learning activities by using more frequent tests as opposed to having them resort to cramming before high-stakes exams (Fitch et al, 1951), which may support short-term performance but does not lead to long-term learning.…”

Re-examining the testing effect as a learning strategy: the advantage of retrieval practice over concept mapping as a methodological artifact

“…Furthermore, the difference in memorization time between the conditions might also act as confounder in another way. According to the well-established spacing effect (e.g., Rohrer and Pashler, 2007 ; De Jonge et al, 2012 ; Kim et al, 2019 ; Murphy et al, 2022 ), distributed learning is more effective than massed learning. Therefore, considering that in the retrieval practice condition in Karpicke and Blunt’s (2011) study participants memorized the learning material in two study phases at different time points during the experiment (in the initial study phase and the subsequent retrieval practice phase, see Figure 1 ), this condition represents an example for distributed learning.…”