Memory Teacher: Applied Project 2
Standardized tests are a dreaded aspect of academia for most students. Scores on these exams can make or break a student’s admission into colleges and graduate schools. Students in all disciplines can agree that the ACT, SAT, GRE, MCAT, LSAT are important, however, how are we supposed to prepare for them?
I will be taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) this summer, and I was curious about this question. How should I study for this exam? Are there common strategies, and are these strategies the most effective? I wanted to focus primarily on the verbal section of the GRE exam, specifically in terms of vocabulary. There are a plethora of strategies developed for the memorization of vocabulary, and I was interested in what the common practices were and whether or not these were the best strategies to utilize.
Common Practices
When reviewing research I found that rote learning as well as mnemonic devices are popular tactics for memorization. Rote learning involves repetition of the content, in this case vocabulary. There are a variety of mnemonic devices, however, I looked specifically at research regarding the keyword mnemonic method. This approach involves associating the new word with a previously learned word that sounds similar, which is then associated with a visual image to facilitate encoding and retrieval.
Rote Learning: Repetition
First, looking at rote learning, there are many studies which examine the use the use of repetition. One study in particular, observed the different forms of repetition strategies including oral, written, and a combination of the two. The participants were divided into three groups: oral repetition, written repetition, and a combination of both written and oral repetition. Oral repetition took place by the participants repeatedly saying the word out loud, while written repetition included repeatedly writing the words on paper. After the initial repetition, the participants had three follow-up recall tests to measure retention. There was a test the day after the first trial, one week after the initial trial, and six weeks after the initial trial. The test administered on the next day produced high retention rates for all three methods. However, the one week and six week follow-up tests produced varying results among methods. The oral repetition group was the least successful, followed by the written repetition, with combined written and oral repetition scoring the highest retention rates (Altalhab, 2018).
The results from this study reflect that written repetition as well as the combined approach of both written and oral repetition are the preferred method of repetition strategies. In this way, repetition was found to be beneficial as it requires the individuals to repeatedly encode the vocabulary. Another strength of the repetition strategy was that it was found to be beneficial for both short and long term memory. However, there were also some weaknesses identified in the repetition strategy. Oral repetition alone was not found to be very successful, and appears to be a weakness for the repetition memory technique. Moreover, across all three groups there was a gradual decline in retention as time went on when using this strategy. Therefore, although repetition is useful for long-term memory, there is a need to continuously review the information in order to better retain the information for longer periods of time. This produces another weakness: the time commitment required. In order to successful retain information using repletion, the repetition must be on-going, meaning, it may be more time consuming than other memory strategies.
Mnemonic Devices: Keyword Method
The second memory strategy reviewed for vocabulary is mnemonics. This technique included making a connection between the new word and a previously learned word that sounds similar, as well as associating a visual image. “Paivio’s (1975) dual coding theory proposed that an image provides a second and independent memory code in addition to the ubiquitous verbal code. Thus, retrieval should be more likely when images have been generated at encoding because there are two memory codes for the event, either of which could support recall” (Thomas & Wang, 1996). One study looked at the long-term memory retention of SAT vocabulary words in high school junior and senior students using the keyword method. The participants were students who learned SAT vocabulary words freshman year using the mnemonic keyword method were selected as juniors and seniors to test their long-term memory retention of the vocabulary. The test included 130 vocabulary multiple choice questions, and the students produced an average retention rate of 73.6% with no prior review (Benge & Robbins, 2009). This study is especially relevant because it observes the use of mnemonic devices and vocabulary in the context of standardized tests, aligning with the GRE. A strength of this technique is that mnemonic devices are successful in immediate recall, according to previous literature. Additionally, a strength of this strategy is that individuals who utilize it report positive and satisfactory experiences (Benge & Robbins, 2009). This is important, because if individuals regard this memory strategy positively, that means they likely had success when using it. Additionally, individuals who have positive experiences using a memory technique are more likely to consistently carry out the strategies and stick to them. However, there are also weaknesses within this method as well. For example, there were mixed results on the long-term accuracy in retention (Benge & Robbins, 2009), which would negatively impact retention of vocabulary for the GRE. Although, in this particular study, the long-term retention of the SAT words when using the keyword method was very successful.
Evidence-Based Intervention: Spaced Repetition
After reviewing these studies and literature, I believe that although repetition and the keyword mnemonic strategy have some strengths and beneficial aspects as memory strategies for vocabulary, they are not the most effective for long term memory retention, and therefore would not be recommended for GRE studying. Spaced repetition, however, is an evidence-based intervention which has significant research to support its effectiveness. According to Kang, “…a recent comprehensive review of the utility of various learning strategies awarded distributed practice [spaced repetition] one of the highest ratings based on the available research evidence” (Kang, 2016). Spaced repetition involves an individual learning the content and then repeating the information after increasing intervals of time. Below, a figure from Kang’s article depicts the process of spaced repetition in a visual format.
The literature concluded “…the timing of the practice (when it occurs) matters a great deal: Having the initial study and subsequent review or practice be spaced out over time generally leads to superior learning than having the repetition(s) occur in close temporal succession (with total study time kept equal in both cases)” (Kang, 2016). This was consistent with findings in other studies where spaced repetition (where there were 37 pages between each presentation of the vocabulary) was compared to massed presentation (where the vocabulary was listed three times in succession). This study concluded, “…spaced presentations lead to better vocabulary learning than do massed presentations” (Dempster, 1987).
Research also provides support that spaced repetition enhances retrieval, therefore improving retention. Kang notes that literature explains repeating information over time promotes retrieval of the learned vocabulary, which improves retention and memory. In contrast, massed repetition (such as rote learning or repetition) does not include this retrieval process, as there is no need to retrieve the information from memory because it was just introduced, and is still freshly learned (Kang, 2016)
Additionally, spaced repetition involves the context, such as the external stimuli where the information is learned and encoded. “With spaced repetitions, the context that gets encoded in memory with each presentation of an item is likely to be more variable (compared with massed repetitions that are close together in time and context); the variable contexts that are stored in memory then serve as more effective cues for subsequent retrieval of the item” (Kang, 2016).
Application of Spaced Repetition Intervention
The literature regarding vocabulary memorization suggests that spaced repetition has been the most successful for long term memory retention, therefore I wanted to make that the central focus in my intervention. However, I also think that the keyword method produced significantly positive long term memory retention results in the study involving SAT vocabulary. As a result, for my intervention I plan to combine both spaced repetition and aspects of the mnemonic keyword method with the hopes of producing an even more effective strategy for vocabulary acquisition.
The design of the intervention would follow the structure of spaced repetition with additions of the keyword method. The individual would begin by reviewing the vocabulary for the GRE each day for the first five days to get familiar with the content. During each of these five reviews, the individual would create associations between the new vocabulary words and previously learned vocabulary, applying the keyword method. After the initial five days, the individual would continue to practice the words every other day for five days, continuing to use the keyword method associations. Finally, the individual would continue to practice the vocabulary once per week leading up to the exam, continuously establishing the associations created by the keyword method.
The combination of the keyword method and spaced repetition allows for the strengths of each memory strategy to aid in retention. The spaced repetition is important for long term memory retention, and requires the individual to continuously encode and retrieve the information, thus establishing the knowledge. Including the keyword method further strengthens this strategy, by providing an additional retrieval cue to aid in memorization of the word and retrieval at the time of the GRE exam.
Conclusions
After reviewing the three different strategies, rote learning/repetition, keyword mnemonic method, and spaced repetition, the research indicates that spaced repetition is the most empirically supported and successful memory strategy for vocabulary learning. Both repetition and the keyword mnemonic method alone fail to produce consistently successful results in long term memory retention. Additionally, massed presentations of vocabulary, which is similar to the process of rote learning repetition, has been proven to be less successful in vocabulary learning in comparison to spaced repetition. In contrast, many studies have found that spaced repetition is beneficial for long term memory and learning. The construction of an intervention including both the mnemonic keyword method and spaced retention provides students with the benefits from both strategies, cultivating a practice for retention and retrieval.
References:
Altalhab, S. (2018). Short- and Long-term Effects of Repetition Strategies on Vocabulary Retention. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 9(2), 146–149. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.9n.2p.146
Benge, C. & Robbins, M.E. (2009). Using keyword mnemonics to develop secondary students’ vocabularies: A teacher’s action research. Journal of Language and Literacy Education [Online], 6(1),93–104. Available http://www.coa.uga.edu/jolle/2010_1/mneumonics.pdf
Dempster, F. N. (1987). Effects of variable encoding and spaced presentations on vocabulary learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 79(2), 162.
Kang, S. H. (2016). Spaced repetition promotes efficient and effective learning: Policy implications for instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 3(1), 12–19.
Thomas, M. H., & Wang, A. Y. (1996). Learning by the keyword mnemonic: Looking for long-term benefits. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 2(4), 330.
