High-leverage principles for learning and long-term retention.
Retrieval practice
Trying to recall from memory strengthens learning more than re-reading.
Spaced repetition
Reviewing over increasing intervals to resist forgetting.
Interleaving
Mixing related topics/problem types to improve discrimination and transfer.
Elaboration
Explaining why/how in your own words; linking new ideas to what you already know.
Desirable difficulty
Effortful practice that is still solvable tends to improve long-term retention.
Testing effect
Practice tests improve retention more than additional study of the same material.
Generation effect
Producing an answer yourself improves memory more than reading the answer.
Dual coding
Combining words and visuals improves recall when both are meaningfully linked.
Chunking
Grouping items into meaningful units reduces working-memory load.
Working memory limit
You can hold only a few items at once; reduce load to think better.
Cognitive load
Total mental effort; simplify presentation so effort goes to learning, not decoding.
Transfer
Learning is stronger when you can apply knowledge in new contexts, not just repeat.
Varied practice
Practice across different contexts and examples to improve flexibility.
Illusion of competence
Fluency from re-reading feels like learning.
Fix: test yourself.
Metacognition
Knowing what you know (and do not) helps you choose better study strategies.
Feedback timing
Fast feedback helps skill acquisition; delayed feedback can strengthen retention.
Errorful learning
Making mistakes and correcting them can improve learning if feedback is clear.
Interference
Similar memories compete (proactive/retroactive). Spacing and contrast reduce it.
Encoding specificity
Memory is better when retrieval context matches learning context.
Context-dependent memory
Environment cues can aid recall; vary contexts to reduce dependency.
Sleep consolidation
Sleep helps stabilize and integrate memories; it is part of learning.
Overlearning
Extra practice after mastery can help durability, but has diminishing returns.
Feynman technique
Explain simply; gaps in explanation reveal gaps in understanding.
Active recall vs recognition
Recognition (seeing the answer) is easier than recall; train recall.