The Effect of Distributed Practice in Undergraduate Statistics Homework Sets: A Randomized Trial

Abstract

Most homework sets in statistics courses are constructed so that students concentrate or "mass" their practice on a certain topic in one problem set. Distributed practice homework sets include review problems in each set so that practice on a topic is distributed across problem sets. There is a body of research that points to the efficacy of distributed practice for developing a variety of skills from word recall to surgical techniques. A trial was conducted in several sections of a business statistics course where students were randomly assigned to either have massed practice homework sets or distributed practice homework sets. The two groups were then compared on the course assessments. The results show some evidence for the efficacy of distributed practice homework sets, although this effect may be modified significantly by the instructor or by a Hawthorne effect.