Practice is a vital part of the learning process. Cognitive psychology supports this idea, emphasizing that active engagement through practice helps deepen understanding and improve retention. However, traditional learning methods often overlook this important aspect, leading to less effective learning experiences. Adaptive practice introduces a new approach to learning that makes it more personalized and efficient.
Why is Practice Important?
First, let’s understand why practice is so important. Conventional learning methods often focus on passive content consumption, such as rereading material. While this approach has some benefits, it doesn’t match the effectiveness of active learning methods like practice. Practice reinforces concepts, strengthens neural connections, and improves recall ability—making it a key part of the learning process.
One study provides strong evidence for this. Participants were divided into two groups, one of which only read the material for 7 minutes, while the other solved practice problems within the same timeframe. Initially, the reading-only group performed slightly better, but after two days, the order had noticeably reversed. This experiment demonstrated not only the long-term effectiveness of practice but also highlighted why cramming is only a short-term solution.(Roediger, H. L. III, & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17(3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x)
The ‘Goldilocks Zone’ of Practice
The level of difficulty in practice tasks is just as crucial as practice itself. Modern teaching methods stress the importance of maintaining an optimal level of challenge for learners. This is often referred to as the ‘Goldilocks zone’—a level of difficulty that is not too hard to discourage learners, but not too easy to bore them.
A study found that the optimal training accuracy, or the optimal error rate, is around 85% or 15%, respectively. In other words, the difficulty of practice sessions should be such that learners know the answer for about 85% of the questions. Achieving this balance can be difficult, as it varies among learners and also depends on their progress in the learning journey. (Wilson, R.C., Shenhav, A., Straccia, M. et al. The Eighty Five Percent Rule for optimal learning. Nat Commun 10, 4646 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12552-4 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12552-4)
The Rise of Adaptive Practice
Adaptive practice addresses this challenge by adjusting to the learner’s level, providing a more personalized learning experience. It fine-tunes the difficulty level based on the learner’s progress, ensuring the learner stays within the ‘Goldilocks zone’.
With Skillgo’s advancements in e-learning technology, it is now possible to incorporate adaptive practice as a unique feature. This allows for a more personalized learning experience, finely tuning the difficulty level based on the learner’s progress. The first practice session begins by having learners complete a set of medium-difficulty test questions. After this, the system evaluates the learner’s performance based on the topic and competence level. It then fine-tunes each new test set based on the learner’s performance and progress, ensuring the learning process remains optimally challenging.
In conclusion, the importance of practice in learning cannot be overstated. However, traditional learning methods often fall short in providing the right level of challenge, leading to sub-optimal learning outcomes. Adaptive practice addresses this gap, offering a more tailored, engaging, and efficient learning experience. As the landscape of education continues to evolve, embracing adaptive practice could be the key to unlocking more effective and personalized learning.