Active Recall

What is active recall?

Active recall means trying to retrieve knowledge from memory before you look it up. Instead of reading the slide a third time, you cover it and ask yourself: What were the three conditions? What is the formula? Why does it hold?

It feels harder than rereading, and that is the point. Every successful retrieval strengthens the memory, and every failed one shows you a gap you would otherwise only notice in the exam.

What the research shows

In a well-known study by Roediger and Karpicke (2006), students learned prose passages either by rereading them or by reading once and then recalling them freely. Five minutes later the rereading group did slightly better. After two days and after one week the picture reversed: those who had practised recall remembered considerably more.

Karpicke and Blunt (2011) compared retrieval practice with concept mapping, an elaborate and popular method. Again, students who practised retrieval learned more, even on questions that asked for understanding rather than memorised facts.

A large review by Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) rated ten common learning techniques. Practice testing was one of the two methods with the highest utility. Rereading and highlighting ended up at the bottom.

Rereading feels good because the material seems familiar. Familiarity is not the same as being able to retrieve it yourself in the exam.

How to use active recall at university

1. 1

   Read first, then close the book

   Work through one section of your script with full attention. Then close it and write down or say aloud everything you still know.

2. 2

   Write questions, not summaries

   Turn every section into questions: “What are the three types of …?” instead of a copied list. Those questions become your practice material.

3. 3

   Answer, then check

   Answer each question fully from memory first, even when unsure. Only then compare with your notes and correct yourself.

4. 4

   Repeat what you got wrong

   What you did not know goes into the next round. What you know well you repeat less often (see spaced repetition).

5. 5

   Practise like the exam

   Use past papers or exercises under real conditions: no notes, with a time limit.

Common mistakes

• Checking too early: the benefit comes from the attempt, not from reading the answer. Give yourself a few more seconds.
• Asking only for facts: ask for the why and for connections too, otherwise you only practise memorising.
• Recalling only once: one recall right after studying helps, several spread over days help much more.
• Ignoring mistakes: the questions you could not answer are the most valuable ones.

Sources

• Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x
• Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval practice produces more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping. Science, 331(6018), 772–775. doi:10.1126/science.1199327
• Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. doi:10.1177/1529100612453266