Learning principles / Spacing and interleaving

Spacing and interleaving

Spacing means spreading practice out over time instead of cramming. Interleaving means mixing different types of problems or topics within a practice session.

Items below are tagged by keyword rules when their title or summary mentions this principle. A tag means the item discusses it, not that the item is good evidence about it.

Tracked items (2)

CommentaryLearners: Not reportedOutcome: Not reportedPreprint

Memdora: Designing Cognitively-Grounded Flashcard Interactions for AI-Powered Spaced Repetition (opens in new tab)

2026-07-27 · arXiv (back catalog) · Study (preprint)

Spaced repetition systems (SRS) have demonstrated robust effects on long-term retention, yet existing tools reduce the flashcard interaction to a single binary gesture: flip and self-rate. This impoverished interaction model fails to leverage decades of cognitive science evidence on retrieval practice, and requires...

Retrieval practiceSpacing and interleavingAssessment and grading
Why this label for Memdora: Designing Cognitively-Grounded Flashcard Interactions for AI-Powered Sp
  • Commentary: Both graders agree; rules version missed it. Consensus level confirmed.
  • Review status: Confirmed against the published method (AI-assisted review)
  • Grader A: R3 genre gate: the paper presents a system and design rationale but reports no evaluation of learners.
  • Grader B: R3 genre gate: system design and rationale paper for a flashcard app, with no evaluation with learners reported
  • Rule version: METHODOLOGY v0.3, pipeline v1, rules rules-v0.4
  • Retrieval practice: matched 'Flashcard'
  • Spacing and interleaving: matched 'Spaced Repetition'

Graded blind by two AI graders against our published method. Confirmed against the published method (AI-assisted review) Method

Level 2: CorrelationalLearners: Higher-ed studentsOutcome: Learning or achievementPreprintSmall or imprecise

Do Gains from Generative AI-Enabled Adaptive Pretesting Persist? Evidence from a Retention Study (opens in new tab)

2026-06-21 · arXiv (back catalog) · Study (preprint)

Pretesting - attempting problems before instruction - supports learning by activating prior knowledge and sharpening attention to subsequent instruction. Recent work suggests that adaptive AI-assisted pretesting can yield further advantages, particularly for tasks requiring higher-order reasoning, yet it remains...

Retrieval practiceSpacing and interleaving
Why this label for Do Gains from Generative AI-Enabled Adaptive Pretesting Persist? Evidence from a
  • Level 2: Correlational: Randomized retention study, but sample size not reported; held at 2 until n is verified.
  • Review status: Confirmed against the published method (AI-assisted review)
  • Grader A: R5 design ceiling: undergraduates were randomly assigned to study conditions and assessed on posttest performance.
  • Grader B: R5 RCT (undergraduates randomly assigned, seven-week retention, learning outcome) gives Level 3; R6 imprecision lowers it to 2 because n and intervals are not reported (RCT without n, needs human review)
  • Rule version: METHODOLOGY v0.3, pipeline v1, rules rules-v0.4
  • Retrieval practice: matched 'retrieval practice'
  • Spacing and interleaving: matched 'spaced retrieval'

Graded blind by two AI graders against our published method. Confirmed against the published method (AI-assisted review) Method