Train older adults to self-test and selectively restudy unlearned items to improve associative learning¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The article describes a concrete intervention recipe: train older individuals "to monitor their learning via self-testing (which is akin to making highly accurate delayed JOLs)" and then "to use this self-testing as a basis for focusing restudy efforts on items that have not yet been learned." This metacognitive self-regulation training produced greater learning gains than traditional encoding-strategy training when study was self-paced, and it remains effective when delivered through an at-home training manual.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Self-paced study so learners can differentially allocate time and effort to unlearned items

Constraints¶

• In the original study this training produced no transfer to free recall of word lists

Target Learners¶

• older adults

Target Learning Goals¶

• improving paired-associate (associative) memory performance
• effective allocation of restudy effort

Claims¶

• Training metacognitive self-regulation (self-testing plus selective restudy) produced greater paired-associate learning improvements in older adults than traditional encoding-strategy training when study was self-paced [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Spared Monitoring Basis Compensatory Selfregulation
• Self Monitoring Strategies

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Hertzog C, Dunlosky J. (2011). Metacognition in Later Adulthood: Spared Monitoring Can Benefit Older Adults' Self-regulation. Current Directions in Psychological Science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3903298/