Learning-technique effects do not shrink across test delays from the same day to six months¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r? · q3 · i2 medium · n=242 studies
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Whether the effects of the ten learning techniques fade with the delay between study and test.

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Effects were d = 0.58 under a day, 0.59 from a day to a week, 0.56 from a week to a month and 0.51 from one to six months, with no overall differences; 68% of effects were measured within a day. → Donoghue & Hattie 2021

Evidence¶

Donoghue & Hattie 2021¶

Donoghue, G. M., & Hattie, J. A. C. (2021). A Meta-Analysis of Ten Learning Techniques. Frontiers in Education, 6, 581216. doi:10.3389/feduc.2021.581216

q3 · meta-analysis (moderator analysis by test delay) · i2 · medium effect at every delay, d = 0.51–0.59 · n=242 studies · quant-synthesis · r?

Most effects (68%) were measured within a day, usually immediately; the practice techniques (practice testing, distributed and interleaved practice) supplied most of the delayed tests. Mean effects were 0.58 under a day (1,073 effects), 0.59 from a day to a week (204), 0.56 from a week to a month (228) and 0.51 from one to six months (64); the authors report no overall differences.

"There were no overall differences relating to the effects less than a day (d = 0.58, SE = 0.025, N = 1,073), > 1 day and < 1 week (d = 0.59, SE = 0.057, N = 204), > 1 week and < 1 month (d = 0.56, SE = 0.058, N = 228), < 1 month and less than 6 months (d = 0.51, SE = 0.082, N = 64)."

Discussion¶

The long-delay effects come mostly from the practice techniques, whose benefits are known to grow with delay, so this is not evidence that every technique holds up over months. Only 64 effects were measured beyond a month.

Related Claims¶

• Across ten learning techniques, distributed practice and practice testing have the largest effects and underlining and summarization the smallest — related
• Distributed Practice Improves Retention — related
• Retention interval moderates the testing effect: effects are larger after a day or more than at shorter intervals, where individual studies vary from reliable to null or reversed — reports the opposite
• The testing effect is largest at a retention interval of 1–6 days (g = 0.82) and robust across all intervals — reports the opposite