How can we boost student learning retention in our courses? How can we help our students transform newly acquired information into long-term knowledge they can recall and activate in the future? Colleges and universities can be overwhelming for many students, especially first-year students, so building strategies to help them improve learning retention is essential.
Let’s start by taking a look at the learning pyramid, which demonstrates the seven learning strategies and ranks them based on their degree of effectiveness for learning retention:
According to the pyramid, lecturing, reading, audio-visual, and demonstration fall under the category of passive learning methods. Although passive learning does not necessarily mean that students are not active listeners or that they are not engaging with the material, it implies they are less encouraged to reflect on this material critically or even challenge it.
On the other hand, with active learning, students are encouraged to actively participate in activities and discussions relevant to the subject matter and to critically question—and even challenge—the content they are presented with.
In this article, we share some active learning strategies we use in our courses to enhance student retention. Based on our experience, these strategies lead not only to a greater retention rate, but also to greater student engagement, which is in itself an important factor for increased retention.
Let’s start with some strategies to help students make the necessary connections between newly acquired information and prior knowledge. These connections enhance learning retention rates because when students create these links between new and existing knowledge, they generate retrieval cues that help them recall the information more efficiently (https://theelearningcoach.com/learning/retrieval-cues/).
Some of these strategies include:
- Brainstorming: As a first step, ask students to contribute what they already know (or think they know) about the topic that will be covered in class. Then, invite them to share new ideas they may have with their classmates. This helps activate prior knowledge and provides a foundation for building new information.
- Concept maps: Have students create maps with visual representations of the concepts they are working on. Allow them to use colors, graphs, hand-written notes, drawings, and anything that can provide them with a deeper understanding of the topic. As with brainstorming, they can start with what they already know and build from there as new information gradually flows in.
- Think-Pair-Share: Ask students to think on their own, in silence, about how the new information relates to already acquired knowledge; then, typically in groups of two, have them discuss their thoughts. If they wish, they can share their ideas with the entire class. This allows students to articulate their understanding while teaching one another and learning from each other. Running their ideas through their peers before sharing them with the entire class also gives them confidence.
- Do it like Socrates! Opt for open-ended questions that allow students to think in a more critical way about how new information connects with what they already know. For example, you could ask, “What connections do you see between this new concept and your previous understanding?”
- Incorporate reflection activities: After the completion of an important unit, for example, ask students to reflect on how their understanding has evolved. Are they feeling more confident on how new information relates to their prior knowledge? This can be done through specific prompts, open-ended reflection pieces, in-class group discussions, etc.
- Scaffold students’ learning: Structure lessons so they gradually build upon students’ prior knowledge. Start with easier and more familiar concepts before presenting more complex ones. This helps students build their confidence.
- Try to connect new information to real-life experiences and examples that resonate with this generation of students: Don’t you think that students would better remember a new concept or piece of information if you used examples from pop culture, famous YouTubers, or influencers they are familiar with and follow on social media? Also, offer opportunities for students to apply what they learn in class in real-life settings, such as service-learning or community-based placements.
Peer and group-based activities are at the heart of student engagement and foster a culture of collaboration and are proven to enhance learning retention. Learning from and with a peer can be more effective (and more fun!) than reading a textbook or listening to the instructor.
- Use the Jigsaw technique: With this technique, knowledge building is seen as the result of putting the “knowledge puzzle” pieces together, one-by-one, and implies that each piece of the puzzle has something to contribute to the final product. In a classroom setting, it consists of dividing the class into small groups. Each group’s mission is to become experts on a specific subtopic. After studying their assigned material (chapters of a book, journal papers, videos explaining new concepts, etc.), members from each group come together to share their knowledge and pass on their expertise to their peers.
- Foster a culture of debate: Not all disciplines are conducive to in-class debates. However, this is a great way to engage students in lively and passionate discussions when possible. Divide the class into groups (two or more). Each group represents a different point of view on a controversial topic and is responsible for preparing arguments supporting their respective viewpoint. In-class debates that are well-structured foster critical thinking and improve students’ communication skills.
- Gallery walk: Pretend you are in a gallery-like setting and display different materials (posters, articles, diagrams) related to the topic of study around the classroom. In small groups, students rotate through the displays, discussing and reflecting on the content at each station.
- Peer instruction using audience-response systems: When using Kahoot, Menti, i-clickers, etc., ask students not to make their selection individually but in pairs or groups, sharing one device (one cell phone, for example, for Kahoot). Ask your questions and give them time to discuss the different options and to reiterate course content productively and interactively before making their final selection. This allows them to justify their choices and explain to one another the why or the why not of their selection before the actual vote.
How can we check that students retain the material they should? Here are some easy-to-apply strategies for assessing student retention.
- Ticket-out-the-door: This allows instructors to quickly assess students’ understanding at the end of a lesson by prompting them to respond to a specific question on a piece of paper before leaving the classroom. Some examples of ticket-out-the-door prompts include asking students to explain the concept presented in class in their own words, briefly reflect on a new concept, or even let their instructor know that they still have unanswered questions.
- Self-assessment and reflection activities: Asking students to assess their grasp and retention of the material through reflective activities or self-assessment rubrics can be an empowering experience for students, which gives them an enhanced sense of responsibility.
- Frequent exercises and low-stake quizzes: Assign students frequent practice exercises in which you incorporate key concepts to constantly refresh the information—instead of cramming everything into one major test. Assigning a small percentage of the grade to these practice activities could motivate students to complete them. Frequent quizzes and low-stakes tests can also serve as a guide to the instructor to assess student retention.
Implementing effective strategies to enhance our students’ learning retention undoubtedly represents a lot of work and demands thought; however, not only is it crucial for fostering our students’ long-term academic success, it can also be a very rewarding experience for both the instructor and student.
Dr. Safieh Moghaddam is an assistant professor of linguistics, teaching stream in the Department of Language Studies, UTSC, where she teaches undergraduate courses at all levels. Professor Moghaddam’s linguistics research focuses primarily on the syntax and morphology of endangered languages. She has done extensive research and professional development in teaching and learning strategies, particularly active learning, cooperative learning, online learning, hybrid learning, and the structure of online courses. She has also developed and redesigned courses in dual delivery (hybrid) and online forms.
Dr. Malama Tsimenis holds a PhD in 19th century French literature from the University of Montreal and is currently an associate professor teaching stream at the Department of Language Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Her research interests lay in innovative pedagogy, high-impact practices, experiential learning, blended learning among others. She has been recognized for her commitment to undergraduate teaching through various awards and nominations. Dr. Tsimenis also leads seminars and workshops on pedagogical topics to faculty and graduate students, and works closely with teaching assistants both as a mentor and as a coordinator for language courses.
References
Ho, Leon (2023). Learning Methods to Help You Learn Effectively and Easily. LifeHack. https://www.lifehack.org/850924/learning-methods.
O’Neal, C., & Pinder-Grover, T. (n.d.). Active Learning Continuum. Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, University of Michigan. https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Connecting-strategies-with-impactful-learning-technologies-for-post-pandemic-education_fig1_345503850
Malamed, Connie (n.d.). The Power of Retrieval Practice For Learning: An Instructional Strategy for Long-term Retention. the eLearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/learning/retrieval-cues/.
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