Chapter 3, Section 1, Exercise 026

Mix It Up for Better Learning

In preparing for a test on a set of material, is it better to study one topic at a time or to study topics mixed together? In one study,¹ a sample of fourth graders were taught four equations. Half of the children learned by studying repeated examples of one equation at a time, while the other half studied mixed problem sets that included examples of all four types of calculations grouped together. A day later, all the students were given a test on the material. The students in the mixed practice group had an average grade of , while the students in the one-at-a-time group had an average grade of . What is the best estimate for the difference in the average grade between fourth-grade students who study mixed problems and those who study each equation independently?

¹Rohrer, D. and Taylor, K., ''The Effects of Interleaved Practice," Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2010;24(6): 837-848.

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(a) Give the notation (as a difference with a minus sign) for the quantity we are trying to estimate.

Let group be the fourth-grade students who study mixed problems and let group be the fourth-grade students who study each equation independently.