johnywrites.com

Tag: retrieval

  • Tweet: Evaluating Retrieval Practice in a MOOC

    In the following study researchers looked at the effectiveness of two types of retrieval practice methods. They are

    1) Retrieval Practice tasks which asked students to shortly summarize the content of videos, and

    2) Students were asked to read pre-written summaries of videos.

  • Tweet: Is it even necessary or desirable to retrieve fundamentally transient information ?

     The practical value of every major conceptual framework needs to be vetted against the contemporary and future utility. This is why we need to make an effort to understand the future of memory retrieval in academic learning.

    The Future of Jobs Report 2018 by World Economic Forum list Memory as a declining skill in job market.

    Although this report was received by critics and many experts with ridicule, there are others like Conrad Wolfram who embraces the change by radical suggestions like computational mathematics.

    Another major perspective which focus on social evolutionary approach of learning is coming from Connected Learning by Mimi Ito which combines personal interests, supportive relationships, and opportunities.

    It is a new kind of learning in an age of abundant access to information and social connection that embraces the diverse backgrounds and interests of all young people.

     

     

  • Tweet: Classroom retrieval practice

    ​A new study conducted by Dr. Lisa K. Fazio, “Retrieval practice opportunities in middle school mathematics’ teacher’s oral questions.”, shows that many teachers promote more active forms of learning like retrieval practice, but the research suggests that some of the other hallmarks of active learning, like waiting for students to respond, are not occurring. 

    The study attempted to examine how often and what type of questions teachers ask that require retrieval practice.
     
    It also looked if teachers whose students showed high growth in mathematics achievement used retrieval questions differently from teachers whose students showed low growth.
     
    The researchers found, on average, that middle school mathematics teachers asked a whopping 210 questions per hour, or 3.5 per minute.
     
    The study also pointed to three hypothesized areas that are necessary for student learning and, unfortunately, are often missing from the classroom:
     
    • time to respond,
    • a norm of participation, and
    • questions that require effortful retrieval.
     
    Time to respond: Ideally, teachers should wait a few seconds for students to process a question, think, and formulate a response.
     
    A norm of participation: It’s the idea that the majority of students need to be engaged in the classroom if retrieval questions are to improve classroom performance.
     
    Effortful retrieval: The level of difficulty often corresponds to the quality of learning. In other words, harder retrievals are more valuable for students.