Spaced and Expanded Practice: A Comparison of Methods to Enhance Retention

Location

CSU Ballroom

Start Date

11-4-2017 2:00 PM

End Date

11-4-2017 3:30 PM

Student's Major

Psychology

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Shawna Petersen-Brown

Mentor's Department

Psychology

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Second Mentor's Name

Carlos Panahon

Second Mentor's Department

Psychology

Second Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Third Mentor's Name

Jannine Ray, Carrington Risss, and Ashlee Lundberg

Third Mentor's Deparment

Psychology

Third Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

In order to promote quality instruction and maximized student learning, it is essential for schools to integrate the most practical, effective, and efficient teaching methods into the curriculum. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of varying spacing patterns between practice sessions on retention of information. This study will investigate the effects of practice at consistent intervals (spaced practice) and practice at increasing intervals (expanded practice). Though the research is limited, it has suggested that expanded practice may be more effective than spaced practice, particularly in a K-12 school setting. Third graders will be taught a set of unknown words and definitions using incremental rehearsal (IR). Seven terms will be selected within a content area agreed upon by teachers and researchers and taught through the IR intervention. After the teaching session, students will participate in three practice opportunities corresponding to their assigned condition. During practice opportunities, students will be presented with the words from the teaching session and asked to read each one and provide the definition. If the student reads and/or defines a word incorrectly, error correction will be used. The primary dependent variable will be retention of words and definitions in the final practice opportunity at 28 days after teaching. Data will then be analyzed using an independent samples t-test. Data is currently in progress of being collected within the schools.

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Apr 11th, 2:00 PM Apr 11th, 3:30 PM

Spaced and Expanded Practice: A Comparison of Methods to Enhance Retention

CSU Ballroom

In order to promote quality instruction and maximized student learning, it is essential for schools to integrate the most practical, effective, and efficient teaching methods into the curriculum. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of varying spacing patterns between practice sessions on retention of information. This study will investigate the effects of practice at consistent intervals (spaced practice) and practice at increasing intervals (expanded practice). Though the research is limited, it has suggested that expanded practice may be more effective than spaced practice, particularly in a K-12 school setting. Third graders will be taught a set of unknown words and definitions using incremental rehearsal (IR). Seven terms will be selected within a content area agreed upon by teachers and researchers and taught through the IR intervention. After the teaching session, students will participate in three practice opportunities corresponding to their assigned condition. During practice opportunities, students will be presented with the words from the teaching session and asked to read each one and provide the definition. If the student reads and/or defines a word incorrectly, error correction will be used. The primary dependent variable will be retention of words and definitions in the final practice opportunity at 28 days after teaching. Data will then be analyzed using an independent samples t-test. Data is currently in progress of being collected within the schools.

Recommended Citation

Kalenberg, Katherine. "Spaced and Expanded Practice: A Comparison of Methods to Enhance Retention." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 11, 2017.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2017/poster-session-B/28