Active and passive recall are learning methods that can aid in retaining information. Active recall involves techniques to retrieve information from memory, while passive recall involves techniques to absorb information from educational materials.
Active recall is more efficient than passive recall for retrieving information from long-term memory, although both techniques are effective for learning and memory.
Comparing active and passive recall can help you assess your learning techniques’ effectiveness. This article benefits students, professionals, and anyone looking to enhance their memory.
Join us as we provide a comprehensive overview of active, passive, and implementing active recall and various active recall tactics.
What is active recall?
Active recall, or practice testing, is a study technique involving the active recall of information and repeated testing to improve retention, memory, and understanding. This method is commonly used in self-study approaches like flashcards and self-generated questions.
When using active recall, you don’t just read the study materials. Instead, you create questions based on the content and regularly quiz yourself on the topic. This approach compels your brain to actively remember the information and helps identify areas that require further attention and understanding.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that active recall is a highly effective study method in significantly enhancing academic test performance. For example, a 2013 study focused on improving students’ learning methods found that practice testing is a highly beneficial learning technique, leading to improved performance across various tasks for students of different ages.
A 2010 experimental investigation and other meta-analyses conducted in 2017 on practice examinations discovered that engaging in practice and repeated assessment benefits students more by enhancing knowledge retention and transfer than repeated studying.
While it is established that active recall contributes significantly to learning and memory, employing this learning approach demands exertion. Later on, we will delve into various methods for active learning.
What is passive recall?
Passive recall, a popular learning technique, involves reviewing learning materials passively through activities such as reading, watching, listening, highlighting, and summarising notes.
This technique is widely used and considered easy due to its specific methods, such as reading and highlighting, which can create a sense of productivity and false confidence when recognising studied topics.
However, it’s important to note that simply recognising and recalling information are distinct. While recognising means familiarity with a topic, recalling involves remembering specific information.
Numerous studies have consistently demonstrated that passive recall is ineffective, time-consuming, and does little to improve memory retention and academic performance.
A 2013 study on effective learning methods discovered that summarisation, keyword mnemonics, imagery usage, and rereading are ineffective. Although these methods can help students, their benefits are limited.
Imagery usage and summarisation for text learning are unsuitable for all tasks or learning materials. Similarly, keyword mnemonics are only suitable for a few learning materials and are helpful only for short retention periods. Rereading and highlighting are the most commonly used techniques, but the study indicated that they do not consistently improve academic performance.
While passive recall strategies are easy to use, they are not as effective as one might think. It’s strongly recommended that you use more active recall strategies if you want to remember information and improve long-term memory.
Using active recall to learn quicker
You can utilise active recall to accelerate your learning by getting acquainted with the subject, prompting yourself to recollect without referring to the study material, verifying the accuracy of your recalled information, and consistently reviewing it.
The initial step to active learning is familiarising yourself with the subject you wish to grasp. You can achieve this by reading and understanding the study material, watching relevant videos, or listening to audiobooks.
After getting familiar with the subject, set aside the study material and compel yourself to recollect the information you just absorbed. You can accomplish this by sketching, reciting, paraphrasing, or completing practice tests. While it may be challenging, refrain from peeking at the study material if you forget the information.
Then, fact-check to assess the accuracy of your recollection. You can revisit the study material to identify any overlooked or misunderstood portions.
Repeat the recollection and fact-checking processes until you are confident in your grasp of the subject.
Lastly, ensure regular review. Revisit the material every few days and use spaced repetition to reinforce long-term retention. If you happen to forget, revisit the information.
Active recall techniques
Active recall techniques help improve memory. You can actively recall information by taking practice tests, which evaluate your learning and help you remember and apply your knowledge. Creating your test questions is also an excellent way to recognise and understand what you are learning.
Another method is using flashcards with questions on the front and answers on the back. Answer the questions from memory, check the answers, and keep track of your progress by repeating this process every few days. It can be a fun way to learn alone or with friends.
Simply copying every word from a book or a teacher’s lecture is not an effective note-taking method. Instead, write down what you remember in your own words and organise it with headings and subheadings. Summarising the information in your own words and verifying the accuracy afterwards is another effective note-taking technique. All of these methods actively engage your brain during study.
The Feynman Technique is a method for comprehending and mastering subjects created by Nobel Prize laureate Richard Feynman. This straightforward method includes reviewing the material, teaching the subject, addressing any missed details, and simplifying the topic’s content.
This technique evaluates your grasp of the subject by prompting you to articulate the topic using straightforward, lucid, and succinct language.
Conclusion
Learning and studying new things can be approached in various ways. However, not all methods ensure that the information will be retained in your long-term memory.
We have explored the contrast between active and passive recall and offered various techniques within active recall to assist in information retention and memory enhancement.
If these approaches are ineffective for you, there’s no need to fret. There are alternative methods you can experiment with. Check out our blog for different active recall study methods that you can use in your own learning process!
