Question

what is distributed practice?

• the act of re-reading material multiple times in order to better remember it.
• the idea that material should be made personally meaningful to you in order to be better remembered.
• the idea that exercise is beneficial for memory.
• the practice of studying in multiple short bursts, rather than trying to cram it all in at once.

Explanation:

Define distributed practice

Distributed practice is a highly effective learning strategy where study sessions are spaced out over time. Instead of trying to learn a large amount of information in a single, continuous block (which is known as massed practice or "cramming"), the learner breaks the material into shorter sessions separated by intervals of time.

Analyze the options

• Option 1: "The act of re-reading material multiple times in order to better remember it." This describes passive re-reading, which is a common but relatively ineffective study technique and does not define spacing.
• Option 2: "The idea that material should be made personally meaningful to you in order to be better remembered." This describes semantic encoding or the self-reference effect, which relates to how deeply information is processed.
• Option 3: "The idea that exercise is beneficial for memory." While physical exercise does support cognitive health and neurogenesis, this is not the definition of distributed practice.
• Option 4: "The practice of studying in multiple short bursts, rather than trying to cram it all in at once." This perfectly captures the essence of distributed practice (spacing study sessions over time rather than cramming).

Select the correct option

The fourth option is the correct definition of distributed practice. Spacing out learning sessions allows memory consolidation to occur between sessions, leading to stronger long-term retention.

Answer:

• The act of re-reading material multiple times in order to better remember it.
• The idea that material should be made personally meaningful to you in order to be better remembered.
• The idea that exercise is beneficial for memory.
• The practice of studying in multiple short bursts, rather than trying to cram it all in at once. (Correct answer)