active recall test yourself
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Evidence Ledger · Challenge existing claim · reviewed 2026-08-18
Mixed effects of retrieval practice on the acquisition of procedural knowledge in verb spelling education
Existing guidance needs a narrower boundary or a clearer distinction.
Brali decision: Challenge existing claim. This page summarizes a reviewed evidence boundary; it does not reproduce the source and it does not turn one paper into a universal prescription.
What the source supports
Adding retrieval practice to worked examples improved long-term retention of the spelling rules in this classroom study, but the combined group did not outperform worked examples alone on correct rule application after one week.
What it does not establish
- Remembering a rule better means a learner can apply it better.
- Retrieval practice alone is sufficient practice for procedural skill application.
- This one primary-school spelling study establishes a general failure of retrieval practice for transfer or skill learning.
- The specific classroom protocol should be copied as a universal learning recipe.
Important limitations
- The sample was 105 fourth-grade pupils learning Dutch verb spelling in a small number of intact classes and schools.
- The comparison tested retrieval practice added to worked examples, not retrieval practice in isolation.
- The target was one form of procedural knowledge and the study does not establish identical boundaries in other domains or age groups.
- The result supports separating retention from application outcomes, not concluding that retrieval practice is ineffective for complex learning generally.
Source context
Mixed effects of retrieval practice on the acquisition of procedural knowledge in verb spelling education
- Source type: primary-study
- Design: Cluster-randomized classroom experiment comparing worked examples with worked examples plus retrieval practice, with outcomes tested after one week.
- Population: 105 fourth-grade pupils from regular primary schools in the Netherlands, mean age 9.4 years.
- Exposure / intervention: Dutch verb-spelling instruction using worked examples alone or worked examples combined with retrieval practice across practice sessions.
- Outcomes: Long-term retention of verb-spelling rules; Correct application of verb-spelling rules
Citation: Ophuis-Cox FHA, Catrysse L, Camp G. Learning and Instruction. 2026;104:102377.
DOI: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2026.102377
What this changes in Brali
Editorial note: Brali should keep active recall as a retention-oriented method but explicitly add application practice when the real goal is using a rule or procedure.
Use the boundary, not just the headline
When an AI agent or a person retrieves this decision, preserve both the supported claim and the unsupported or overstated claims. Dropping the boundary would turn a reviewed source into a stronger claim than Brali actually maintains.
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