AVOID Retrieval Practice at the Beginning of Every Lesson
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Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2007, and today, he is one of the ‘most followed educators’on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the ‘500 Most Influential People in Britain’ by The Sunday Times as a result of…
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Does retrieval practice always work at the start of every lesson?
Recent research suggests that retrieval practice at the beginning of every lesson may NOT be as effective as previously thought, especially in terms of how our brains process long-term memory.
Many teachers rely on retrieval practice at the start of lessons, but new research challenges its reliability. Published in 2020, The Epigenome (Chemical Changes) and Memory Formation (Nature Neuroscience) explores the intricate mechanisms of memory, suggesting that the brain requires more nuanced approaches than simple recall exercises.
Retrieval practice helps bring knowledge into working memory, but it may not be sufficient for true long-term retention.
The research shows that initial memory encoding involves a priming event — where the brain becomes ready for later use of the information — rather than immediate transcriptional changes. In short, not all information retrieved early in a lesson translates into lasting memory.
Teachers should consider rethinking their lesson strategies, integrating spaced learning, interleaving, and retrieval during the consolidation phase, when the brain is better prepared to activate stored knowledge.
Recommendations for teachers
So, what does this mean for teachers? Well, the first thing to consider, is this research was conducted on mice! Not that you should disregard it straight away, but context is key.
Quizzing alone might not always lead to the long-term memory retention many expect. Instead, the research shows that memory formation is a complex process, where the brain requires more than just immediate recall to truly consolidate information.
At the start of a lesson, retrieval practice often serves to bring information into working memory. However, the brain doesn’t immediately activate the deep transcriptional processes needed for long-term memory consolidation. Instead, these processes—like enhancer priming—prepare the brain for later recall.
This suggests retrieval at the beginning of a lesson may only be beneficial for short-term recall, without significant long-term impact unless it’s followed by other strategies that support memory consolidation. My top tip?
- Diversify lesson starts: Combine retrieval with strategies like spaced or interleaving information.
- Consider the timing of retrieval: Retrieval might be more effective after some initial content has been taught.
- Use feedback during quizzes: Instead of relying solely on quizzes, integrate targeted feedback to solidify knowledge further.
- Remember, more than anything, retrieval practice comes with no grade! It is a learning strategy.
- I’ve recently discovered the Cognitive Science Society – it’s worth taking a look!
Reflection questions for teachers
- How often do you rely solely on retrieval practice at the start of lessons?
- Are other memory strategies, such as spaced or interleaving practice, incorporated?
- How can retrieval be integrated later in the lesson to support deeper learning?
- Do you observe noticeable differences in retention using retrieval in different contexts?
- What professional development opportunities could help you explore varied memory strategies?
- How do you measure the long-term impact of retrieval practice on students?
Teachers should seek to optimise student retention by exploring more than just retrieval practice at the start of every lesson. Adding diversity to lesson structure, focusing on memory consolidation phases, and utilising varied strategies can make a difference to students’ long-term memory.
The research concludes:
… that memory encoding is enhanced by priming during early retrieval, but full transcriptional activity — and therefore, long-term memory — is activated during the reactivation phase.
Download the full paper to explore how these findings could reshape your teaching strategies.
