Turning Roadblocks into Speed Bumps: A Call for Implementation Reform in Science Communication About Retrieval Practice

The science of learning literature is filled with recommendations for strategies educators can use to increase effective and efficient learning. However, some believe that implementation has not been as robust as many have hoped. We believe more effective science communication is needed to increase the overall impact of science of learning research in education, but more data on the most effective ways to accomplish this are needed. Our efforts to increase science communication with educators have included workshops, and from our experiences three concerns regarding the implementation of retrieval practice in particular seem to consistently arise during our workshop conversations with educators. These concerns include the time or workload associated with planning, enacting, and evaluating retrieval practice activities, that retrieval practice might be only useful for learning basic knowledge, and that retrieval practice might cause test anxiety among students. While these concerns could be considered roadblocks to implementation efforts, we have viewed them as speed bumps, opportunities to slow down and discuss some of the nuances of retrieval practice research that can serve to address the concerns. In this commentary, we describe the ways we have attempted to leverage existing literature to address these concerns so far. Importantly, we call for formal research investigating implementation reform of retrieval practice. For science of learning research to have a greater impact on education, the field must systematically identify the concerns of educators in applying the research, and systematically evaluate effective ways to communicate the science to overcome these concerns.