Spacing And Retrieving Can Be A Effective Way To Minimise Forgetting At Exams

Nov, 2022 - By WMR

Scientist explain that gradual learning over time rather than starting before the night of exam is a useful and effective method and reduces chances of forgetting.

Exams are one of the most crucial part of student’s school or college life. The sleepless nights, endless memorizing, revising before the examination there are lot such methods and hardships a student performs so that he or she can remember everything learnt before, when the question paper is in front. But still lot of students complain to forgetting the answers, formulas, equations at the time of exam. Many student also share their experience that nothing comes out of their head in the exam hall but as so as they step out of it they remember everything but by then the time is gone. Scientists say that forgetting is a normal habit but there is something one can do to minimise it.

Psychology professor form Iowa state, Shana Carpenter claims that spacing and retrieving method is effective in passing an exam. Carpenter, the lead author of a study that reviewed many learning researches around a century ago, and was published in Nature’s Review Psychology.

Spacing model of learning is described as learning in incremental amounts over time, which is exactly opposite of studying before the night of exam. In a study, medical students who received training 3 weeks before their practical exam performed better than those who received it before the day of the exam.

Retrieving is a method of revising the past learning. It can be done by aids such as flashcards or writing notes on the topic. It helps the student identify his knowledge gaps. The research advises students that they should gain the learning lessons over time rather than starting it the night before exam. And the night or period before exam should be kept for retrieving.