Hannah Hausman and Nate Kornell, Williams College Conclusion

Mixing Topics While Studying Does Not Enhance Learning
Hannah Hausman and Nate Kornell, Williams College
Question
Procedure
AAAA… AAAA… AAAA… AAAA…
Session 2
IIII… IIII… IIII… IIII…
Session 3
1 week
Session 1
2 days
Should students mix together
flashcards from different courses
when they study?
Final Test Performance
Test
One topic
each day
22%
p < .05
AIAIAIAI… AIAIAIAI…
AIAIAIAI… AIAIAIAI…
Test
Mixed topics
each day
36%
Mixed topics each day
0% Students could increase spacing
between repetitions of a given
flashcard by alternating items
from each topic.
Spacing is an effective way to
[2]
enhance long-term learning.
Yet, 98% of students surveyed
said they would not mix topics. [1]
n.s.
36%
n.s.
1 week
59% of students surveyed use
flashcards to study more than one
[1]
course at a time.
Test
Both topics
unmixed
each day
Both topics unmixed each day
2 days
Background
AAAA… AAAA… IIII… IIII…
1 week
AAAA… AAAA… IIII… IIII…
2 days
One topic each day
A: Copy an anatomy term A: Take a test on anatomy I: Copy an Indonesian transla5on I: Take a test on Indonesian Materials
Indonesian (16 pairs)
Cue
Target
sabun
soap
gendang
drum
Anatomy (16 Pairs)
Cue
Target
of the elbow
cubital
of the back
dorsal
20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Conclusion
Spacing topics across days enhanced
learning, but mixing topics did not.
References
1 Wissman, K. T., Rawson, K. A., & Pyc, M. A. (2012). How and
when do students use flashcards?. Memory, 20(6), 568-579.
2 Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D.
(2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and
quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380.