Over a whole term of chemistry and nature-study lessons, only the slightest indication existed that facts were remembered better by virtue of their position in the course¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 1911 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In both term-long examinations, differences due to serial position were completely insignificant compared with larger fluctuations from other causes. → Dell 1911

Evidence¶

Dell 1911¶

Dell, John A. (1911). Some Observations on the Learning of Sensible Material. Journal of Educational Psychology, 2, 401-406. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0074801

q2 · i? · causal · r1

Term-long examination study: Form III was examined on a term's chemistry work and Forms I and II on nature study, using short questions in the order facts were taught; actual frequencies were tabulated (Tables IV and V) and grouped between minima (Tables VI and VII). The author reports "only the slightest indication (in one case none)" of a position effect.

"In both cases there is only the slightest indication (in one case none) that special parts of the series are remembered better than others in virtue of their position."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Position in a lecture slide series had negligibly small influence on which slides schoolboys recalled eight days later — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Reordering the groups of facts in a lesson did not change which groups boys answered best: recall followed subject matter, not position — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• In Experiment 1, the interim learning task did not affect Phase A posttest performance, indicating the forward benefit was not due to improved prior learning — related