Active recall is consistently ranked as the #1 most effective study technique by cognitive scientists. Unlike passive review methods like re-reading or highlighting, active recall forces your brain to retrieve information, and that retrieval process is what strengthens memory.
What Is Active Recall?
Active recall (also called retrieval practice) is the process of actively stimulating your memory during learning. Instead of looking at information and trying to absorb it passively, you close the book and try to remember what you just read.
The Science Behind Active Recall
Research published in Science (2008) showed that students who used active recall retained 50% more information than those who used passive study methods. Every time you successfully retrieve a memory, the neural pathway becomes stronger.
How to Practice Active Recall
- Flashcards: The classic active recall tool. Read the question, try to answer before flipping.
- Blank page method: After reading, write everything you remember on a blank page.
- Self-quizzing: Create questions from your notes and test yourself.
- Recitation: Close the book and try to recite the material from memory.
- Teaching others: Explaining concepts to someone else forces active retrieval.
Active Recall + Spaced Repetition
The most powerful combination for memorization is active recall paired with spaced repetition. Active recall strengthens each memory retrieval, while spaced repetition optimizes the timing of those retrievals for maximum long-term retention.
Active Recall for Text Memorization
The Memorize app applies active recall to text memorization through exercises like fill-in-the-blank, sentence ordering, and progressive blanking, where more and more words are hidden as you improve.
"Retrieval practice is the most effective learning strategy, yet most students do not use it." - Dr. Henry Roediger, Cognitive Scientist
