As the school year is now underway, students will begin to learn all the material needed to ace their tests and exams. Many students will resort to cramming last-minute for their exams, which is proven to be an ineffective way of retaining information. Cramming can cause students to become more stressed and anxious because of time constraints, while in turn, spacing out the material can prove to be more effective.
The term “spacing effect” is the situation whereby learning is increased when studying is spread out over time, as opposed to studying the same amount of material in a single sitting. There is extensive research which has been conducted to show the benefits of spacing out studying. However, many of our children insist on cramming material prior to an exam rather than studying and reviewing over time.
Students tend to be mislead about understanding their own study strategies and performance by assuming a short term performance will equate to long term learning (Bjork, 1994, 1999)
There are occasionally short term advantages to cramming, such as a possible increased score on an exam, however, the information is short lived in one’s memory; meaning the information is not retained and long term learning of information is not solidified in one’s long term memory.
A 2010 study from the Department of Psychology from University of California, Los Angeles analyzed the “spacing effect” in an everyday study task of flashcard use. This particular study showed the spacing effect works even on a smaller scale of time.
Researchers aren't exactly sure why spacing is so effective. One likely reason may be that over time people forget what they learned in their initial study session. Then, when they come back to the material later, the new study session jogs their memory and they recall what was learned the first time around. The process of forgetting and then retrieving information helps cement the new knowledge in place.
Bottom Line: Help your children get into the habit of studying material as it is presented. It will help them be prepared for pop quizzes, cement new information into long term memory, and leave time to talk to teachers if they need clarification on material. Being prepared is an effective way to help reduce anxiety and stress.