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Forgetting as the friend of learning: implications for teaching and self-regulated learning
Robert A Bjork1, Elizabeth L Bjork1
1Department of Psychology, University of California , Los Angeles.
Advances in Physiology Education
|April 19, 2019
Summary
Forgetting can actually improve learning. Conditions that seem to hinder memory retrieval, like changing study contexts or spacing out practice, actually enhance future learning and memory recall.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Human Learning
Background:
- Human learning exhibits a peculiar characteristic where conditions inducing forgetting can paradoxically enhance subsequent learning.
- Factors such as altered environmental contexts, increased delays between study and restudy, and interleaved practice schedules are known to impair immediate recall but improve long-term retention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the underlying reasons why forgetting-inducing conditions facilitate learning.
- To identify potential misunderstandings of this learning phenomenon and their negative impact on educational practices and self-regulated learning strategies.
Main Methods:
- This study offers theoretical conjectures and explanations for the observed phenomenon.
- It analyzes the implications of these learning principles in pedagogical contexts.
Main Results:
- Conditions that impair memory access, such as contextual changes and spaced or interleaved practice, strengthen long-term learning.
- A misunderstanding of this learning-forgetting paradox can lead to suboptimal teaching methods and ineffective self-directed study habits.
Conclusions:
- Forgetting is not merely a failure of memory but an integral part of the learning process.
- Optimizing learning requires embracing strategies that incorporate forgetting, rather than avoiding it, to improve educational outcomes and self-regulated learning.
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