The Importance of Review
Why Should We Care about Reviewing?
When we sit down in a classroom, ready to learn, we are taught the class material, examples, and case studies, but never are we taught how to learn this material. In fact, being in the classroom absorbing that material is a fraction of the learning process, but no one tells us this. Is this new? Is this groundbreaking science that’s new to the 21st century? Absolutely not. Here is a quote from William James in 1899 about effective learning:
“You now see why “cramming” must be such a poor mode of study. Cramming seeks to stamp things in by intense application immediately before the ordeal. But a thing thus learned can form but few associations. On the other hand, the same thing recurring on different days, in different contexts, read, recited on, referred to again and again, related to other things and reviewed, gets well wrought into the mental structure. This is the reason why you should enforce on your pupils habits of continuous application. (p. 129)”
In James’ Old English, he’s telling us that cramming and “passive” learning leads nowhere - that the true key to learning and retention is active recall and repetition, in other words, review.
In the 21st century lens, copious amounts of research have gone into the importance of the review of material and how exactly it supports our learning. We know now that repeated exposure to and the retention of foundation information has a key role in processing new information (Sweller 2010). Perhaps it’s because retrieval practice of information in our brains leads to deeper and more powerful semantic elaboration and memory traces, allowing us to easily connect new information with old information (Guran et al., 2020). Not only does active review help us remember and connect knowledge, it also enhances our ability to problem solve and transfer learning to new contexts (Kang 2016). The best part? There’s no age restrictions on the benefits of active review. Benefits of distributed review can be seen across all age groups, meaning this article 100% applies to you (Dunlosky et al., 2013).
What does a productive review session look like?
In my 8 years of being a private tutor, the biggest misconception I see amongst my students is that they can study anywhere at any time. Although I’d love for this to be true, it’s simply not. Studying is an intentional process that requires us to give our full attention to what we’re studying. Reviewing is no exception.
In fact, reviewing is a science. When we actively retrieve information from our head we are strengthening that pathway and slowing forgetting (Kang 2016). This means that for sustainable learning and memory, spacing out our review of the material over time is beneficial.
The question becomes, how do we space out our review? Some sources report spaced repetition formulas of a lag of 10-20% of the tested retention interval (Kang, 2016). Meaning, if your test is a week away, your first review of the material should be one day after you learn it. Or, if the test is a month away, you should first review that material 3-6 days after initially learning. This formula works because of desirable difficulty - your brain remembers better when it has to work a little harder to recall something (Kang 2016).
We see other repetition formulas that are more straightforward and geared towards the use of flashcards. In Janto 2023, they suggest a flashcard protocol as follows:
Correct the first time = schedule one day later
Correct again = double the interval
If incorrect = reset the review history and schedule review on the same day
On the extreme end, there are also studies that approach review using a framework of marked temporal point processes and address the design of certain spaced repetition algorithms that optimize reviewing times for specific individuals (Tabibian et al., 2019). These studies recognize that our brains are more complex than a simple review formula, and if we are able to unlock a complex individualized review algorithm, we would be able to learn information in an unprecedented way.
How can I implement these tactics into my study session?
Now that you’ve read the nitty gritty above, it comes to the important question: how can this apply to me?
Although I’d love to give you a complex, individualized review algorithm, let’s start with my favourite review protocol:
Review Priorities
I like to start my review sessions with my priorities in the front of my mind.
These priorities are what you learned yesterday or from a few days ago and are directly pertinent to what you’re going to be studying today (priming your brain for new information (Sweller 2010))
Priorities can also include stubborn subjects - e.g. if you had to memorize all of the amino acids for your biochemistry class, this is something you’d probably want to review everyday
By having these priorities written down before we even start reviewing, we’ve already optimized our time by being organized and intentional in our studying
Academic Brain Dump
Take 2 minutes to write down everything you remember about the subject you’re going to review today
This is a great retrieval practice that deepens semantic networks in the brain and results can be seen immediately (Guran et al., 2020)
Flashcards
I live and die by flashcards and you have two options when you use flashcards in your studying:
Create your own - use physical flashcards to review. However, don’t review the same flashcards everyday. Use a basic formula to optimize your time (Janto, 2023)
Use an algorithm-based app - There are so many great flashcards apps now that use basic algorithms for review. Quizlet is an approachable option that allows students to make their own flashcards, or download already made decks. However, my top pick will always be Anki. Anki allows users to adjust the algorithm, create their own and download pre-made decks, and it has fun add-ons. The best part? It’s completely free.
Conclusion
Optimal studying practices aren’t rocket science, but they are a science. However, you’ve already made the first step to success by reading this blog post and seeking out science-backed practices that will take your studying from passive to intentional.
If you’re looking for an easy way to start intentional study practices, check out “The Intentional Study Kit” which has over 15 pages of science-backed studying tips, templates, and worksheets that will jump-start your efficient study schedule.
Did you find this article helpful? Reach out to me at info@thestudyingedit.com! I’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have about making studying smarter, not harder.
Citations
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266
Guran, C.-N. A., Lehmann-Grube, J., & Bunzeck, N. (2019). Retrieval practice improves recollection-based memory over a seven-day period in younger and older adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2997. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02997
James, W. (1899). Talks to teachers on psychology: And to students on some of life’s ideals. Henry Holt.
Janto, E. (2023). Designing and developing a spaced repetition tool to improve learning with recorded lecture videos (Undergraduate dissertation, University of Edinburgh). University of Edinburgh School of Informatics. https://project-archive.inf.ed.ac.uk/ug4/20233886/ug4_proj.pdf
Kang, S. H. K. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215624708
Sweller, J. (2010). Cognitive load theory: Recent theoretical advances. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(3), 286–298. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691613506598
Tabibian, B., Upadhyay, U., De, A., Zarezade, A., Schölkopf, B., & Gomez-Rodriguez, M. (2019). Enhancing human learning via spaced repetition optimization.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(10), 3988-3993.https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1815156116
