Students Who Mess Up Learn Better

A new study by Scientific American shows that people learn things more effectively and remember them longer if, before learning them correctly, they get them wrong first.

In a series of experiments, [researchers] showed that if students make an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve information before receiving an answer, they remember the information better than in a control condition in which they simply study the information.

How can this study be used to inform teaching practices for educators? Perhaps building in time for students to play around with the content or skill that we hope them to learn before introducing specific methods would help engrain the material more deeply.

Getting It Wrong: Surprising Tips on How to Learn (Scientific American via Lifehacker)