Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
A lot of people don't like rote learning because it's not very fun. But is it effective? I explore this question with a rote learning example in learning to write Chinese characters.
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0:00 An Intro to Rote Learning
1:01 Drawback 1 - Blocked Practice
2:57 Drawback 2 - Massed Practice
4:05 Drawback 3 - Skill Isolation
REFERENCES
For a recent take on spaced (or distributed) practice, including evidence from neurological studies, read:
Gerbier, E., & Toppino, T. C. (2015). The effect of distributed practice: Neuroscience, cognition, and education. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 4(3), 49–59. doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2015.01.001
If you want a more academic take, discussing theories and the available evidence circa 2006, check out:
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354
For a readable piece on the advantages (and potential drawbacks) of interleaved practice, check out:
Kang, S. H. (2016). The benefits of interleaved practice for learning. In From the laboratory to the classroom (pp. 79-90). Routledge. taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315625737-8/benefits-interleaved-practice-learning-sean-kang
And a great piece on how to leverage interleaved, spaced, and skill-building practice in the classroom is here:
Hughes, C. A., & Lee, J. Y. (2019). Effective approaches for scheduling and formatting practice: Distributed, cumulative, and interleaved practice. Teaching Exceptional Children, 51(6), 411-423. researchgate.net/profile/Joo-Young-Lee-8/publication/338701579_Effective_Approaches_for_Scheduling_and_Formatting_Practice_Distributed_Cumulative_and_Interleaved_Practice/links/5db7099aa6fdccac19b5d67f/Effective-Approaches-for-Scheduling-and-Formatting-Practice-Distributed-Cumulative-and-Interleaved-Practice.pdf
A lot of people don't like rote learning because it's not very fun. But is it effective? I explore this question with a rote learning example in learning to write Chinese characters.
Join my online learning community: benjaminkeep.com/community
0:00 An Intro to Rote Learning
1:01 Drawback 1 - Blocked Practice
2:57 Drawback 2 - Massed Practice
4:05 Drawback 3 - Skill Isolation
REFERENCES
For a recent take on spaced (or distributed) practice, including evidence from neurological studies, read:
Gerbier, E., & Toppino, T. C. (2015). The effect of distributed practice: Neuroscience, cognition, and education. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 4(3), 49–59. doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2015.01.001
If you want a more academic take, discussing theories and the available evidence circa 2006, check out:
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(3), 354–380. doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.354
For a readable piece on the advantages (and potential drawbacks) of interleaved practice, check out:
Kang, S. H. (2016). The benefits of interleaved practice for learning. In From the laboratory to the classroom (pp. 79-90). Routledge. taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315625737-8/benefits-interleaved-practice-learning-sean-kang
And a great piece on how to leverage interleaved, spaced, and skill-building practice in the classroom is here:
Hughes, C. A., & Lee, J. Y. (2019). Effective approaches for scheduling and formatting practice: Distributed, cumulative, and interleaved practice. Teaching Exceptional Children, 51(6), 411-423. researchgate.net/profile/Joo-Young-Lee-8/publication/338701579_Effective_Approaches_for_Scheduling_and_Formatting_Practice_Distributed_Cumulative_and_Interleaved_Practice/links/5db7099aa6fdccac19b5d67f/Effective-Approaches-for-Scheduling-and-Formatting-Practice-Distributed-Cumulative-and-Interleaved-Practice.pdf
