• 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...

A key strategy for getting better at things is hill-climbing : try different things, keep doing the things that work, stop doing those that don’t.

It likely explains how we get better at many things simply by doing them repeatedly. Where this strategy