The Spacing EffectA Case Study in the Failure to

Apply the Results of Psychological Research

By Frank N. Dempster

Overview

• Research shows there to be a spacing effect for memory learning and retention.

• Teachers don’t typically know/use/care.– Reasons why they don’t– Adamant insistences that they should

They don’t trust it They don’t care

Has not been around long enoughCan’t be Linked to Issues of Current

Concern to Educators

When Implemented in school-like activities, fails to show effects

Hasn’t Been demonstrated satisfactorily in school-like activities

Has Serious Discontinuity Issues in the Literature

Has not been satisfactorily demonstrated in the classroom

Is not sufficiently understoodToo little is known about actual classroom

practice to justify widespread application

Inadequate documentation

Why Teachers Don’t Use Memorization Spacing Techniques

They don’t trust it They don’t care

Has not been around long enoughCan’t be Linked to Issues of Current

Concern to Educators

When Implemented in school-like activities, fails to show effects

Hasn’t Been demonstrated satisfactorily

in school-like activities

Has Serious Discontinuity Issues

in the Literature

Has not been satisfactorily

demonstrated in the classroom

Is not sufficiently understoodToo little is known about actual classroom

practice to justify widespread application

Inadequate documentation

The ARCS Model

and

Why Teachers Don’t Use Memorization Spacing Techniques

Attention

Relevance

confidence

Satisfaction

confidence

confidence

Relevance

confidence

Attention

Questions/Criticisms

• Perhaps the author should read the ARCS paper and realize that before teachers will take the time to learn about and implement a new technique, that technique must first – Catch their attention– Prove to be robust, repeatable and easily

implemented– Address a pressing educational need– Be worth the trouble