Retrieval practice means to extract information from the minds of students rather than to cram it in there. We know it went in once, but where is it now? Retrieval practice uses the ‘use it or lose it’ philosophy, bringing information regularly back to the forefront of the mind to use and apply in a contextual question. It is much more than simply re-reading information. Once a concept has been dredged up from the depth of their minds, it stays more readily available for the next revision session, until every bit of information is regularly used and sitting on the top of the pile. This technique also helps students to know what they know – and indeed what they don’t and where the gaps in their knowledge are. This is called metacognition.
Using exam style questions to revise from is key. This helps to practice what’s likely coming up, creates familiarity with the exam style and format, and brings into play low-stakes testing and retrieval of information. It doesn’t matter if answers to questions are wrong – learning from their mistakes and identifying the gaps in their knowledge is all part of the exercise. Students are encouraged to use and learn from the mark schemes of exam questions. They are, perhaps, the richest and most definitive source of subject content and information. They also provide detail on how to get those additional marks at the top end of the mark schemes for each question.
Different types of memory retrieval include recall, recognition, recollection, and relearning. Each one of these helps to bring concepts, facts, knowledge and ideas back into play.
There are many past papers and mark schemes available from the exam boards on their websites. This is a perfect place to start revising – even if students have done them before. Three past papers or more, revised well before the exam, should provide a huge advantage and a surge in confidence given the repetition of topics from one year to the next.
