Many learning and teaching techniques/practices used in education are not born from science but are rooted in theory, lore, and intuition. One of the evidence-proven strategies used by REL is that repeated exposure to formative quizzes over spaced time intervals (spaced distribution) result in more efficient learning and greater learning retention (Bjork, 1988) compared to rereading notes and lecture slides and cramming for exams. A randomized clinical trial used spaced retrieval quizzes with Urology residents and found that the spacing effect “significantly improve the acquisition and retention of medical knowledge” on a Urology in-service examination (Kerfoot, 2007)
Bjork, R. A. (1988). Retrieval practice and the maintenance of knowledge. In M. M. Gruneberg, P. E. Morris, & R. N. Sykes (Eds.), Practical aspects of memory II (pp. 396-401). London: Wiley.
Kerfoot, B. P., Baker, H. E., Koch, M. O., Connelly, D., Joseph, D. B., & Ritchey, M. L. (2007). Randomized, controlled trial of spaced education to urology residents in the United States and Canada. The Journal of Urology, 177(4), 1481-1487. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2006.11.074