This summer I consumed a large amount of podcasts on my daily walks. One of the themes that came up over and over, was this idea of Retrieval Practice. Here is the link to the official website: https://www.retrievalpractice.org/.
In a nutshell, retrieval practice is a learning strategy that focuses on getting information out. It focuses on recalling information to the mind, so that our memory is strengthened. I decided to take specific aspects of RP and implement them into my units of study.
Here is a summary of some of the aspects of retrieval practice that I have found useful.
Spacing: Space practice over multiple days, rather than cramming practice into a longer, one-day session.
Keep RP low-stakes: These should never be taken for a grade or used as formal assessments.
Offer a Variety of Retrieval Practice Options: mini-quizzes, quick writing prompts, brain-dumps, using pre-made graphic organizers, vocabulary practice (flashcards, card sorts, puzzles)
Students should not use notes, ask for help, or look up any answers when initially doing the RP. They should focus on pulling out the information and really thinking over the answers. Once that is done, then they should be allowed to find the answers or go through the correct answers as a class.
So what does this look like in my class?
I have a unit calendar created at the beginning of the unit and I know about when each quiz and test is. I know what days we spend more time doing notes, labs, or activities. To hold me accountable for creating time and options for Retrieval Practice, I go ahead and plan them into my calendar. You can see an example below.
Right now, I do retrieval practices mostly at the beginning of class as a warm-up. They could also be done at the end as an exit ticket, I haven't found that exit tickets work well in my classes, and don't typically use them.
I try to use a variety of retrieval practice options. I want students to learn to think and pull out information in different ways. I am hoping that they will find one that they love or think works best and then they will continue to use that strategy on their own, as they learn to study.
Here are some examples of RP that I have used this year:
Do I have any evidence that this has worked? Well....sort of. It's hard to say exactly what has impacted grades, but I do believe this is partially responsible. Right now, we have given two major assessments. When comparing this year's average to last year's, this year's average is on about 3-4 points higher than last years. When asking students, many of them like doing the practices, they feel like it is helpful in, at the very least, helping them know what it is they don't know. Which in turn makes studying a bit more strategic.
Overall, I will continue to improve this practice as the year goes on. Are you using retrieval practice? If so, would love to hear how you are implementing these strategies.
Happy Teaching!
Mrs. Townsend