Video Text: Spaced Repetition

The fourth and final section that we’re going to talk about is a concept called space repetition.  So I’m going to tell you a phrase and I would like you, if you know the answer, just tell me what it is.

What do you think of if I say “just do it” thank you. “I’m loving it.”  “Eat fresh.” Very good okay.  So here’s the situation: I told you that 15% had to do with skills and knowledge but I am going to tell you something that can help with skills and knowledge.  It’s a tip that I’d like you to take home.

All right, so this big concept of spaced repetition is this. Let’s say it’s Monday and your teacher says you’re gonna have an exam a week from today, the following Monday.  That means you’ve got six days to prepare for that exam, right? Now, it’s not just that everyday or ordinary run-of-the-mill exam, it’s a midterm.  Everybody in the class knows it’s important so nobody’s going to blow this one off and you’re gonna work at it.  You know it’s gonna take you three hours to study for this exam.  Now, how many people are gonna spend some time each and every day between Monday and the following Monday? Show hands… that’s what I thought, because like me that’s what I did.  Now, how many people are going to wait until Sunday night and spend three hours doing that? None of you? Well, let’s just assume some of you do that there’s a big difference between whether you spend three hours Sunday night or you spend 30 minutes each day for six days.  Now, if you do the math 30 times six gives you the same number of minutes and you’ll be spending three hours working on preparing for that exam.  So here’s how spaced repetition helps the individuals that actually apply it.

The next slide shows you this this study says that if you’re exposed to concept one time in only one time, like if you study only that night before, by the next day you’re lucky if you’re 50% of that concept, two days later 25% and then after 16 days it drops way down to 2%.  So the question is why is that important?

On the other hand, if you’re exposed to the same concept day after day for six times — this is why when you hear the news and they repeat the same thing the politicians go over and over again, it’s embedded in your mind or there’s a catastrophe somewhere the newscaster is always doing it you remember those things — if you hear the same thing six times day after day, you remember it for 15 years to life.

Now I’m going to test that later — remember 62 percent of it for 15 years of life.  So for the adults here in the room, I’m going to ask them the question.  So let’s say I haven’t convinced you that you really should study for 30 minutes a day as opposed to three hours on the weekend.  Now let’s say that weekend prior to the exam in comes your favorite aunt or uncle and you’re their favorite nephew and they say guess what I’ve got tickets to the game tomorrow night and it might be the Penguins or the Pittsburgh Steelers playing in a playoff game and you absolutely want to go but you’re eating your heart out now because it didn’t study and you know you can’t blow this test off, and you have to say no.  Is that reason enough to say you know what, I really should take the time and study?

I know your teachers would love it if you did that and I’m telling you it’d be to your benefit as well.  So here’s the kicker.  So let’s say that’s a midterm exam and now you fast forward to the end of the school year. You’re gonna take a comprehensive final exam for those who studied three hours the night prior, guess what? Most of that learning they’ve dropped off and they have to cram all over again at the end of the year, and those people who spent six days in a row studying the same concept and little chunks they’re gonna remember much more of it and it’s going to be much easier to prepare and study and succeed because we’re talking about success and achieving peak performance; they’ll be more likely to succeed on that final exam.

So here’s the test question for the adults in the audience. I’d like you to finish the phrase and see if we — every time I do this typically people are able to finish it and some people I need a little help and I give them another two words but 62% by and large finish the phrase. Two all-beef patties… how do you do have you ever heard that no you guys are too young but the adults in the audience that have heard that time and time and time again and that’s why it’s been more than 15 years my guess it’s been 20 or 30 but I don’t remember so proof of the concept right there from your Scoutmaster.