ABSTRACT
Retrieval practice, or the testing effect, is a study technique that involves trying to remember information to which we were previously exposed. Although this practice increases the long-term-retention of information compared to traditional study techniques, among several other advantages with ample scientific evidence, this strategy is not usually the most often used among students. Educators should help students to use this technique in their daily lives. In order to optimize its applicability, this article discusses which factors interfere in this practice, including: the importance of feedback, the way in which retrieval practice is carried out and the response format, the number of repetitions of retrieval attempts to recall information and the interval between these repetitions. The appropriation of knowledge about these factors positively influences the implementation of this technique in the classroom, thus promoting evidence-based education.
Keywords:
cognitive processes; learning; memory