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Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Teaching Tips

Learn more about powerful teaching strategies based on cognitive science, including classroom activities, research, and resources.

Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.
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February 14, 2023

How do you know if retrieval practice improves learning in your classroom? Conduct research!

February 14, 2023/ Pooja K. Agarwal
How do you know if retrieval practice improves learning in your classroom? Conduct research!

We know that retrieval practice improves learning. But does it improve learning in your classroom? It’s important to find out! Learn how to decide on a research topic, how to create data tools, and how to reach out to scientists.

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February 14, 2023/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
S-Research
Research, Resources, Retrieval Practice
January 26, 2023

How to create mnemonics and finally remember students’ names

January 26, 2023/ Pooja K. Agarwal
How to create mnemonics and finally remember students’ names

With these 4 steps to create mnemonics, 7 classroom activities to get students involved, and frequent retrieval practice, your classroom can be a community where everybody knows your name.

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January 26, 2023/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 2 Comments
Back to school
Class Activities, Class Culture, Retrieval Practice
January 05, 2023

Use a trivia question to introduce students to retrieval practice

January 05, 2023/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Use a trivia question to introduce students to retrieval practice

How can you get students and teachers on board with retrieval practice? Start and end your class or professional development with a trivia question. It’s a quick, fun, and memorable.

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January 05, 2023/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ 4 Comments
Back to school
Class Activities, Retrieval Practice, Spacing, Study Strategies, Class Culture
October 04, 2022

Here are 3 quick retrieval practice activities for your classroom

October 04, 2022/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Here are 3 quick retrieval practice activities for your classroom

Check out our list of upcoming in-person and virtual events, promote diversity with our featured scientists for a workshop or interview, and read our retrieval practice activities that take one minute or less.

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October 04, 2022/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Class Activities, Resources, Retrieval Practice, Powerful Teaching
July 19, 2022

These are the best resources to help students study smarter, not harder

July 19, 2022/ Pooja K. Agarwal
These are the best resources to help students study smarter, not harder

Students cram, and then they forget. It's because easy learning is easy forgetting. Here are the best research-based resources to help students study smarter, not harder.

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July 19, 2022/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
Resources, Study Strategies
June 07, 2022

Retrieval practice is not a test (so stop calling it that)

June 07, 2022/ Pooja K. Agarwal
Retrieval practice is not a test (so stop calling it that)

Have you heard of the "testing effect" or "test-enhanced learning?" Let's clarify: Retrieval practice is not the same thing as testing; it's the opposite. When you're talking about retrieval practice, stop using the word "test."

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June 07, 2022/ Pooja K. Agarwal/ Comment
S-Research
Make it Stick, Retrieval Practice, Class Culture, Powerful Teaching
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Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D.

Harness powerful teaching strategies, unleash the science of learning, and transform your classroom with resources by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.

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Photo of Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal, founder of RetrievalPractice.org

Transform learning in your classroom with practical research-based teaching tips by cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja K. Agarwal.

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Featured Updates
NEW book: Smart Teaching Stronger Learning
NEW book: Smart Teaching Stronger Learning

Read my new book, Smart Teaching Stronger Learning. Whether you teach K–12 students or graduate students, or you’re new to teaching or a long-time educator: If you want to improve student learning, this book is for you.

Read more →
Practical tips to reduce student test anxiety
Practical tips to reduce student test anxiety

How can we support students during exam time and reduce test anxiety? Learn more about my research on student test anxiety and get quick lesson ideas to reduce anxiety with retrieval practice. It might sound counterintuitive, but the more students practice retrieval, the more comfortable they become with high-stakes tests.

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Worried about AI? Here are 8 flexible prompts for retrieval practice
Worried about AI? Here are 8 flexible prompts for retrieval practice

Retrieval practice doesn’t require more class prep for us or ChatGPT for our students. Here are 8 no-prep prompts for retrieval practice I’ve developed over my 10+ years of teaching. I’ve also included a variety of new resources I highly recommend.

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This is what a cognitive scientist looks like
This is what a cognitive scientist looks like

Here's a list of 40 cognitive scientists you need to know. They publish the newest research on retrieval practice, actively engage in science communication with educators on Twitter, and demonstrate diversity beyond the traditional ivory tower. Follow them, cite them, interview them, and reach out to them.

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Download these 5 free resources to unleash learning
Download these 5 free resources to unleash learning

The world has changed and teaching has changed. One thing hasn't changed: The importance of learning and the frustration of forgetting. Here are 5 new resources and downloads, all free, all by cognitive scientists, all to empower you to unleash the science of learning.

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Download our database of retrieval practice research in real classrooms
Download our database of retrieval practice research in real classrooms

Want a quick way to access classroom research on retrieval practice? Download our database of 50 experiments and read a detailed literature review by cognitive scientists.

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Make flashcards more powerful with these 3 tips
Make flashcards more powerful with these 3 tips

Lots of students use flashcards. But using flashcards doesn't guarantee they're using retrieval practice. In fact, students could be wasting their time. This week, we share three research-based tips to make flashcards more powerful. Help students study smarter, not harder.

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Think-Pair-Share? Think again!
Think-Pair-Share? Think again!

Whether you teach at an elementary school or a medical school, you've probably heard of the instructional strategy, think-pair-share. Don’t skip the “think” step! Read on for research-based tips on incorporating retrieval, spacing, and interleaving to make think-pair-share an even more powerful strategy in your classroom.

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Boost learning quickly with Two Things!
Boost learning quickly with Two Things!

How can we use retrieval practice to break up our lessons, quickly and easily, without pausing to facilitate class discussion or collect papers? Use a retrieval strategy we simply call "Two Things," a no-quiz activity for your classroom.

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Brain Dump: A small strategy with a big impact
Brain Dump: A small strategy with a big impact

With the end of the semester within sight, we feature a small strategy that makes a big impact on student learning – based on decades of cognitive science research. In scientific lingo, we call it "free recall."

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