The use of spaced learning as a teaching strategy for memory persistence in elementary-school students

JULIETA CORREA; ALEJO BARBUZZA; JUAN G. RIBOLDI; FABRICIO BALLARINI; HAYDEE VIOLA

Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Congreso; SAN 2022 XXXVII Annual Meeting; 2022

Sociedad Argentina de Investigacion en Neurociencias

Several studies showed the superiority of spaced over massed learning in the formation and persistence of long-term memories (LTM). Thus, this effect could be used to improve the memory duration of students in a school scenario. Here, we studied the effects of spaced learning to promote memory persistence in elementary-school students. We designed a task of two learning sessions to test graphic memory based on Rey Osterrieth´s figure test and evaluated different inter-trial intervals (ITI) between sessions. Students were allowed to copy a figure at the training session and they were asked to draw it again during the test session. The control group realized a single copy session, the retraining group had two identical copy sessions, and a third group performed a copy session and a test session as the second learning. The memory persistence was evaluated 7 days after the second session. The LTM evaluated in the control group dropped significantly over the weeks. We found an LTM-persistence enhancement in the group of students that received a second learning session (test or retraining) 2, 7 or 14 days after the first one. However, when the ITI between sessions was 21 days, the retraining was more effective to promote memory persistence than the test session. This effect could depend on the students’ memory retention level at the time of the second learning session. These findings contribute to designing a strategy to improve memory persistence in elementary-school students.