The problem this solves
“I keep doing the same exercise over and over but I'm not getting better.”
Primary keyword: varied practice
What you'll learn
- Varied vs. massed practice
- Why variety improves transfer
- Three ways to vary one skill
- A two-week varied-week plan
The science behind it: Varied Practice
Varied practice means practising the same underlying skill across a range of contexts and conditions, so the skill transfers beyond the examples used during study.
Why it matters
Skills over-fit to a narrow context if practised in only one context; varying conditions forces the learner to extract the underlying principle.
How to apply it
- Practise a skill in multiple settings, with multiple examples, against multiple phrasings.
- Ask yourself each time: what is the underlying principle here, separate from this example?
- Combine varied practice with feedback so you can correct mis-generalisations.
Common mistakes
- Treating variety as entertainment rather than as a learning mechanism.
- Varying surface details without varying the underlying problem structure.
- Stopping practice at the first successful example.
Read the full concept: Varied Practice.
Where this fits
Part of module Recall and Practice.
More articles in this module
- What Is Retrieval Practice? Beginner's Guide : retrieval practice
- Active Recall vs. Passive Reading: A Side-by-Side : active recall vs passive reading
- Free Recall Without Flashcards : how to do free recall without flashcards
- Spaced Repetition vs. Cramming: A Real Comparison : spaced repetition vs cramming
- Interleaving, Explained Like a Friend : interleaving practice