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Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2010, 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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How can teachers optimise learning by combining generative activities and retrieval practice?
In a bid to elevate learning outcomes, the blend of generative activities and retrieval practice emerges as a powerful strategy. This research explores the ‘What, Why, and How’ of this pedagogical mix, offering teachers practical insights to boost teaching effectiveness.
In a new research article, Happy Together? On the Relationship Between Research on Retrieval Practice and Generative Learning (Roelle et al., 2023), explore what we do and do not know about these two activity types.
Generative activities, fostering deep comprehension, and retrieval practice, known for consolidating factual knowledge, can be combined for enhanced learning.
This blend aligns with the diverse learning needs of students, supporting knowledge acquisition and fostering problem-solving skills.
Teachers can strategically integrate generative activities and retrieval practice into their teaching methods to enhance students’ understanding and retention of complex concepts.
What are generative activities?
A generative activity is an approach that encourages students to actively construct their understanding of a topic or concept rather than passively receiving information. For example:
- Concept Mapping (for shaping schema): Students create visual representations that connect different ideas or concepts, showing how they relate to each other.
- Problem-Solving (for developing metacognition): Students are presented with challenging problems or scenarios that require them to apply their knowledge and critical thinking skills to find solutions.
- Peer Teaching (for self-explanation): Students take on the role of teachers, explaining concepts to their peers. This approach reinforces their understanding while helping others learn.
- Writing Reflections or Essays (for supporting elaboration): Students write about what they have learned, their thoughts, and how they relate the material to real-life situations.
- Debates and Discussions (for developing mnemonics): Students engage in structured debates or discussions on topics, encouraging them to articulate their viewpoints and consider opposing perspectives.
- Conceptual Questions (for interleaving practice): Students formulate and answer open-ended questions that require them to think deeply about a topic.
- Creative Projects (using dual coding): Students create artworks, presentations, or multimedia projects that creatively demonstrate their understanding.
Generative activities are considered effective because they require active cognitive engagement, promote deeper understanding, and help students develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Reflection questions for teachers
- How can you adapt teaching materials to incorporate generative activities and retrieval practice?
- What specific generative activities work best for your subject area/key stage?
- How can you measure the impact of this combined approach on my students’ learning outcomes?
- Are there any potential challenges or pitfalls to be aware of when implementing this strategy?
- How can you support students in self-regulated engagement with generative and retrieval activities?
The combination of generative activities and retrieval practice stands as a promising avenue for teachers to explore …
