Learning and education · 2 min read
When people chose what to practice, they stayed with the same topic
People who set their own sequence repeated the same concept 64% of the time; only in that group was repetition associated with a slightly better score.
The study, in plain language
The tutorial was part of real university courses and taught mean, median, and mode. After each problem, one group chose which concept to practice next. The other received a sequence created by another student with a similar starting level.
People who chose tended to stay with the same concept, especially after an incorrect answer. In that group, repetition went along with a slightly better score on the later test. Among those given another person’s sequence, this association did not appear.
The two groups ended with similar scores on average, so the finding does not show that repetition is better than mixing topics. What changed was the link between practice and the exam depending on who arranged the sequence. The authors clarify that these are associations and that the link was small.
The key idea
Repetition went along with better scores only among those who set their own practice order, and the association was small.
Something to think about
When you make a mistake while practicing, do you stick with the same topic or switch to another? Notice what you do: both groups ended with similar scores, and no single formula emerged.
The original study
An In Vivo Study of Self-Regulated Study Sequencing in Introductory Psychology Courses
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
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