What is Active Recall? How Can I Use it to Study?

Reading. Re-reading. Reading again with a highlighter in hand. 

Research shows that doing just that is how most of us choose to study. After all, that’s what most of us did in school for a hefty chunk of our lives.

But we’ve been doing it all wrong… for all this time.

Studies suggest that just passively reading texts or our notes can give us the “illusion of competence,” but not actually help us retain what we’re reading. That’s why another analysis of several study techniques calls passive learning methods “low-utility.” They require a lot of input for very little output.

An example of a high-utility learning technique, however, is active recall.

Key Takeaways

• Passive learning techniques like reading and re-reading notes, as well as highlighting texts, are inefficient and ineffective methods of learning.
• Active learning techniques like practicing active recall are high-utility methods of retaining information.
• Active recall refers to retrieving information from the back of your brain, instead of the back of your flashcard. 

What is Active Recall?

Active recall, also known as active retrieval and practice testing, refers to a method of moving information from your short-term to your long-term memory—and tapping into it when you need it. When you actively recall something, you dig it up from the back of your mind without having to rely on your study materials.

Active Recall vs Passive Review

It’s important to note that active recall is different from passive review. Reviewing, however, is a critical step in the active recall study method.

Actively recalling something means retrieving it from your long-term memory bank without referring to your notes. Passively reviewing something means reading it and, perhaps, recognizing it. 

But before you can actively recall a piece of information, you have to review it. This means reading and analyzing your study materials. To review these materials effectively, you should have questions about it that you try to answer as you review it all.

Asking yourself questions about the topic to gain a deeper understanding of it can help you to remember it later. After all, it’s a lot easier to remember that which you can understand.

After you understand the topic well, you can try to remember information about it without referring to your notes or grabbing your smartphone.

Active Recall vs Recognition

Active recall is not the same as recognition. You might be able to recognize information that you’ve seen before—in a textbook, in your language-learning app or in other study materials. But just because you recognize it doesn’t mean that you understand it—or that you understand it to be the correct answer.

A multiple choice test can be complicated if you simply recognize information. For example, you may remember reading about all of the different verb conjugations in Spanish. But when quizzed on how to say “I live in New York,” which translates to “Yo vivo en Nueva York” in Spanish, you might choose “Yo vives en Nueva York” from multiple choice options because you recognize “vives.” But “vives” is the conjugation for “you,” not “I.” 

In other words: Recognizing information does not mean learning it. 

Does Science Support Active Recall Studying?

Yes, science says that active recall studying is highly effective.

A gamut of studies show that those who engage their brains in active recall outperform their peers. Active recall can also help promote conceptual learning.

How Can I Use Active Recall to Study?

Using active recall to study can help you retain more information for longer. When you study with the active recall method, you learn the materials at hand and store the information in your long-term memory.

6 Methods to Incorporate Active Recall into Your Study Habits

Incorporate these six methods to engage your brain in active recall.

1. Flashcards

Using flashcards is an easy way to practice active recall.

All you have to do is write an explanation of the topic or definition of the word on one side of the flashcard, and the answer on the other side. After reading the detailed side of the flashcard, try to recall the answer before flipping it over.

2. The SQ3R Method

The SQ3R method is a science-backed method of using active recall.

• Survey – Survey, or skim, your study materials to get the gist.
• Question – Create questions about the topic at hand. 
• Read – Read the study materials while actively seeking answers to those questions.
• Retrieve – Retrieve the information you’ve learned by repeating it in your own words without referring to your study materials.
• Review – Review it all again. Summarize what you’ve taken away from it all.

3. Feynman Technique

The Feynman technique tasks you with teaching the materials you’ve just absorbed. Explaining something to someone else can force you to simplify it and also pinpoint parts of it that you don’t fully grasp. That’s because if you have difficulty teaching it, you probably don’t understand it well enough. 

This technique involves four steps:

1. Study – Study the material.
2. Teach – Teach the topic to someone else. 
3. Fill in the gaps – Re-study the parts you had trouble teaching.
4. Simplify – Summarize what you’ve learned.

4. Whiteboard Recall

Whiteboard recall is an easy way to implement active recall into your study session.

Write what you need to know on a whiteboard. Read the information out loud. Turn around with your back to the whiteboard. Try to verbally recall the information again without seeing it. Then face the whiteboard again to check what you’ve recalled.

5. Practice Problems

Using practice problems can help you prepare for an upcoming test.

For example, if you have an upcoming algebra test, you can practice solving algebra problems. Even if the problems you solve aren’t the same problems on the test, practicing can help you learn how to solve any problem. When it comes time to take the test, you already know how to do it—you only need to think about how you’ve done it before.

6. Spaced Repetition Learning System

Spaced repetition refers to periodically revisiting the same information. You repeatedly study it, over and over again, throughout intentionally spaced intervals.

The Dorothy memory app can help you implement the spaced repetition learning system. Dorothy uses smart algorithms that leverage spaced repetition to ping you at peak study times. It knows when you’re most likely to forget information (down to the day!)—and it reminds you to study so you don’t forget it.

Active recall is a science-backed, evidence-based study technique that’s far more efficient and effective than passive strategies. Follow the tips outlined above to practice active recall when studying for your next test, learning a new language, prepping for an upcoming certification or learning any new material.