Spaced practice is a learning strategy that distributes practice across multiple sessions separated by time intervals, rather than concentrating it in a single block.
Why it matters#
A learner who practises a skill for one hour across four sessions separated by days will retain it significantly better than a learner who practises for one hour in a single sitting. This is one of the most replicated findings in learning science. It is also almost universally ignored in course design, where content is front-loaded and learners are expected to retain it from a single exposure.