Hill Climbing : A Trap?

• Math problems are often taught in a blocked fashion.
• You learn some problem type and do it repeatedly until you’re good at it.
• Then, you move onto a different type of problem and repeat the same process.

The issue with this blocked approach is ...

The exact mechanisms behind the value of desirable difficulties are still being debated.

• Bjork argues that the benefits come from the difference between storage strength and retrieval strength in memory.
• In his theory, what we...

2. Variability .

• Say you’re learning tennis shots. Should you perfect your forehand swing before moving onto the backhand?
• Or mix both up at the same time? Intuition argues for mastering one thing before moving onto the next, but research suggests other...

3. Testing .

• Should you re-read or do practice questions?
• Students overwhelmingly favor re-reading as a learning strategy.
• However, practice testing is one of the most effective learning methods...

1.Spacing .

• Imagine you have to choose between practicing something ten times in a row vs. ten times spaced out (over hours or days).
• The first feels easier—you will perform bette...

Psychologist Robert Bjork addresses this issue by calling for desirable difficulties : actions that appear to work worse in the short-term but work better in the long run. These include: