Lay 's Key Ideas from Make It Stick
by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel

In a study at Columbia Middle School, a single class was subjected to testing on class material. These tests were sprinkled across the year in random intervals.

The results show that students who had this teaching method scored at least full grade higher than other classes.

This is attributed to the Retrieval effect, where active recalling over rereading showed higher rates of retention. On the other hand, passive learning did not show the same esults.

Another effect is the Generation Effect. The idea being that completing info with one's own input helps retention more than simply reading.

Although cramming or studying intensely in a short time frame may bring great results, of up to 80% when tested in the short-run, it does not hold in the long-run.

Moreover, blocked practice, as in doing multiple questions of one concept and then another, appears to also result in less retention. With tests showing a 20% correct rate vs a 63% correct rate with two study groups.

The solution is to space out practice so it does not feel like simply reciting the info.

Another method is interleaving, switching the study subject to another to encourage acriverecall when returning to each subject.

The appeal of cramming can be understood due to the feeling of progression when solving each question in succession. This blocks deeper conceptual understanding being only repetition

The solution is varying practice and concepts. In a study with cornhole, someone who throw at 2 or 4 feet was more accurate at 3 feet then someone who only practiced 3 feet.

Though doing so may not feel like making progress, you are. The brain needs time to consolidate newly learned info to realise it beyond the illusion of fluency.

Thus, it can be understood that aggressive action may not always be effective action.

There are many influences to proper retention to be wary of.

Imagination Inflation occurs when certain details are exaggerated or omitted based on feelings.

Suggestion is when a question is asked in a leading manner.

Intervention is when an action is interrupted and the memory may be erroneously remembered.

The Curse of Knowledge assumes that everyone shares the same base of knowledge to make their opinions. This explains why two people debating may be distraught at the others opinion.

Reflection and Reviewing is important. Your own memory may be incorrect to begin with. Be wary of your own memory.

The Dunning-Krueger effect refers to the fact that people, often incomptent, tend to overestimate their abilites and vice versa.

In their study, they found that the people who scored in the twelfth percentile often assumed they were in the sixty-eighth percentile.

This was presumed for many reasons, one being no one wishes to be a bearer of bad news to one's incompetency. Such as being the last one chosen in a game of dodgeball for your friend's team.

It is important to seek outside opinion beyond one's own in regard to one's ability. No one would wish to acknowledge their own incompetency.

The notion of being better suited to kinesthetic, auditory, or visual learning aids to learning has no empirical evidence to support it, despite its wide acceptance.

Rather, the focus is better on the subject rather than the student. Math would better be mainly taught on paper rather than through movement; sports better through movement than listening.

Learning is active engagement and making connections which contextualize other information. When the subject is taught in a manner which can best fits the nature of the subject, it is a better way of maximizing your learning.

The ability to recall and retain can be explained through neurology. Axons and Dendrites connect to each other forming synapses, where neurons send information.

The connection has a substance known as Myelin, where the thicker it is the easier it is to recall. Where after becoming second nature, the action is registered in the basal ganglia.

These connections are formed through constantly learning and exploring. A growth mindset is based on this idea, where new neurons can be made and new info stored.

Deliberate Practice, coined by Anders Ericsson, is practice with goals in mind with consistency.

Mneumonics are a technique where a piece of information is linked to a cue for easy recall. Here are a few,

Method of Loci: Imagine a place where each idea is linked to an object. People have easier time recalling images than words alone. Furthermore, the house gives structure and an order to recalling

Peg-Words: This functions as a cue for a to-do list. For example, 1 is bun (go to the bakery), 2 is shoe (buy new shoes), etc.

Acronyms: Names representing ideas, such as ROY G BIV, the colours of the rainbow, or I Value Xylophones Like Cows Dig Milk (The unique letters for Roman numerals)