How to create spaced repetition
Creating a study plan for spaced repetition learning can help you better remember what you have studied previously. This plan actually allows you to build upon the things being learned, eventually helping you to have a solid foundation for tests. Below is a simple guideline on how to create spaced repetition:
How to remember what you study: Plan short and regular review sessions
Short and frequent learning sessions are more ideal than long, infrequent ones. They give you a chance to remember what you learned, as opposed to trying to learn everything at once. Make these learning sessions ongoing, let’s say, throughout the year, rather than something you do only when you have an upcoming test.
Review the new information over an extended period of time
As opposed to cramming all information in one study session, create time each day to review. Split the studying material into short topics and handle each over the course of a few weeks or months, depending on the difficulty levels. This is good advice on how to create spaced repetition.
For instance, if you are starting a new unit in medicine class, dedicate a study session to it. Untiringly, go back the following day to review again. Wait two days, and review again. You may come up with a different pattern, but a typical repletion schedule can look like this:
• First day: Initial study session
• Next day: Revisit and review
• After two days: Revisit and review
• After four days: Revisit and review
• After a week: Revisit and review
• After two weeks: Revisit and review
Review older material first
As you study topics from the most recent sessions, also ensure you don’t forget about the older information. This helps your brain to recall what was learned during the older sessions. The harder the human brain is challenged to remember past information, the better a person can recall it in the future.
How to create spaced repetition using summaries and checklists
During each study session, come up with summaries. Every time you revisit the material, utilize these summaries/checklists to jog your memory. This will make it easier for you to integrate new information with the old information you have learned. It will also keep you on track with the information being acquired in each session.
Alternatively, if the above steps seem difficult to create or follow, opt for a spaced repetition software or app. Apps use advanced algorithms to determine the appropriate spacing between wrong and right answers. They also predict when you are likely to forget something, based on an arithmetical formula and data they collect as you study. In short, the app handles all of the scheduling for you. Hopefully, this will help you learn how to create spaced repetition.
If you’d like to learn about EdApp’s Spaced Repetition feature, called Brain Boost, get in touch at enquiries@edapp.com. You can also try EdApp’s Mobile LMS for free by signing up here.
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