ERIC Number: EJ862682
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Dec
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1556-1623
EISSN: N/A
Simultaneous Decisions at Study: Time Allocation, Ordering, and Spacing
Son, Lisa K.; Kornell, Nate
Metacognition and Learning, v4 n3 p237-248 Dec 2009
Learners of all ages face complex decisions about how to study effectively. Here we investigated three such decisions made in concert--time allocation, ordering, and spacing. First, college students were presented with, and made judgments of learning about, 16 word-synonym pairs. Then, when presented with all 16 pairs, they created their own study schedule by choosing when and how long to study each item. The results indicated that (a) the most study time was allocated to difficult items, (b) relatively easy items tended to be studied first, and (c) participants spaced their study at a rate significantly greater than chance. The spacing data, which are of particular interest, differ from previous findings that have suggested that people, including adults, believe massing is more effective than spacing.
Descriptors: Time Management, Decision Making, Study Habits, College Students, Vocabulary, Associative Learning, Difficulty Level
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A