Improve Student Learning with Recall Tasks

Facilitator: Diana Benner (@diben)

SessioN Description

Recall tasks are an effective way to improve student learning. Discover how you can easily incorporate them into any lesson.

recall tasks

Definition
Recall tasks are specific activities or exercises designed to prompt students to retrieve information, facts, concepts, or ideas from their memory.

Goal
The primary goal of recall tasks is to stimulate the retrieval process and help students actively recall and articulate what they have learned.

research

According to Pooja Agarwal, Ph.D., founder of RetrievalPractice.org, retrieval practice boosts learning by pulling information out of students’ heads rather than cramming information into students’ heads. Based on years of research, simply retrieving what you’ve already learned further boosts your long-term learning. There is a lot of additional research on retrieval practice that is worthy of exploration.

The majority of effect sizes (57%) revealed medium or large benefits from retrieval practice (see pie chart).

classroom strategies

Brain Dump

Free recall is also known as a "brain dump," "show what you know," and a "stop and jot." No matter what you call it, try this quick retrieval strategy during your instruction. Here's how it works:

Pause your lesson, lecture, or activity.
Ask students to write down everything they can remember. You could ask them to write down a couple of things they remember.
Continue your lesson, lecture, or activity.

two things

At any point during a lesson, stop and have students write down Two Things about a specific prompt. For example:

What are two things you learned so far today?
What are two things you learned yesterday (or last week)?
What are your two takeaways from today?
What are two things you'd like to learn more about?
What are two ways today's topic relates to previous topics?

And then what? You move on with your lesson. That's it!

Boost Learning Quickly with Two Things

Two Strategies Make Learning Stick

think-pair-share

Similar to brain dumps, “think, pair, share” is a low-stakes activity that’s relatively easy to set up. Here's how it typically works:

Students think about a topic in response to a question or prompt
Students pair up with another student and talk about their reflection
Students share their thoughts in a larger class discussion

It’s important for students to recall individually as much as possible.

last lesson, last week, last month

This activity requires a bit more planning but is very useful. Look back to the most important information presented yesterday, last week, and last month. Then choose three questions from each and ask students to answer the questions with no assistance. Next, discuss with students which set of questions they were more successful at completing. It lets the students know that the importance of studying a particular topic doesn’t end. Knowledge builds knowledge.

Ways to Use Retrieval Practice in the Classroom
Interleaving boosts learning by mixing up closely related topics, which challenges students to compare, contrast, and discriminate.

flashcards

A classic example of retrieval practice is using flashcards. These are tasks where cards are displayed containing a word or a picture. Then, students are asked to retrieve their knowledge of what they are shown, recalling facts they know. Students should go through the flashcards multiple times and say as much of the information as possible out loud before flipping the card.

Make Flashcards More Powerful

low stake quizzes / practice tests

Low stake quizzes and practice tests help students gauge how well they understand recently learned material, and identify areas of strength and areas where they need to grow. Research shows that when students become too reliant on strategies like rereading or highlighting material they tend to develop a false impression of how much they know—quizzes close that gap.

Tips:

Research suggests that it’s better to make them low-stakes–worth little or no grade–which can reduce test anxiety, prompt more honest reflection, and improve student focus and performance.
Timing matters: It’s helpful to give a practice test right after a lesson, and then continue visiting the concept through review.
Engage students by incorporate technology tools to make your quizzes or polls.

Making Practice Tests More Effective

colored index cards

Each student has their own set of colored index cards, with the letters A, B, C, and D on them (or true/false, or 1, 2, 3, etc.).
You can ask a question and students can close their eyes while raising the appropriate index card to identify their response.

It’s an easy way for students to recall information, and you can provide immediate feedback after students respond.

bell ringers and exit tickets

Give students an activity as they are entering the classroom (“bell work”) or before students leave the classroom (“exit tickets”) that include questions about content learned in class. It could even be a simple writing prompt (e.g., “Write down everything you remember from the previous class”). This engages students in recall.

Bell Ringers for Improved Retention and Engagement

trivia question

At the beginning of class, ask your students a trivia question. About one-third of the way into the first class, after discussing the content, ask the trivia question again. Allow students to answer in about 10 seconds. Move on, and at the very end of class, pose the trivia question, students respond.

Using Trivia Questions for Retrieval Practice

speak like an expert

Encourage students to speak for up to two minutes on a previous learning topic. This not only helps with recall but also exercises crucial speaking and listening skills.

As students are completing this task, teachers are able to observe what the students are able to recall and listen for any common misconceptions. These can then be addressed while they are still fresh in the students' minds or added to future lessons for reinforcement.

concept maps

Concept maps are visual tools that help students organize and articulate what they know about a given concept or topic. Students will start with a large circle with the topic and then begin adding circles with keywords that relate to the topic. Using concept maps will show what the students don’t know while committing what they do know to long term memory.

Research shows this strategy is far superior to rote memorization because it encourages students to make rich, meaningful connections within a topic.

tips for implementing recall tasks

Retrieval practice is not the same thing as assessment. Remember that retrieval practice is a learning activity.
Make them a regular part of the learning process. Regular use of recall tasks helps to reinforce learning and embed information in long-term memory.
Vary the type of strategies used. Mixing up the type of strategies used helps to keep students engaged.
Provide feedback. Feedback after completing tasks will help students to understand their strengths and areas for improvement.
Space your practice. Give students time to forget the information before they try to access it. Spacing is the practice of sequencing learning so that information is delivered across two or more lessons rather than just one.
Involve everyone. Good techniques involve all students checking their knowledge, not just a few and not just one at a time as you might do when questioning.

Additional resources

Recall Tasks for Active RetrievalRecall tasks are an effective way to improve student learning. Discover how you can easily incorporate them into any lesson.