Using SQL to query the difficulty imposed by spaced retrieval in engineering mathematics
Jeremy R. Boyd, Campbell R. Bego, Osvaldo André Garcia, Patricia Ralston, Jason C. Immekus, Keith B. Lyle
Abstract
This WIP Research Paper investigates the temporal nature of the difficulty imposed by spacing. Spaced retrieval practice is an evidence-based strategy for improving memory and consists of asking multiple questions on a topic with intermittent delays. Spacing is often thought to impose difficulty by making questions harder to answer. However, this difficulty may be desirable, since spacing ultimately improves memory. In this paper, we (a) outline an implementation of spaced retrieval practice in an engineering mathematics classroom, (b) describe the development of an SQL database to organize and manage the large and complex dataset, and (c) discuss a brief but interesting dive into the rich data we have collected. Statistical analyses revealed that, when three questions targeting the same topic are spaced over multiple quizzes, versus being massed on a single quiz, students are less likely to answer the first and second questions correctly. Spacing does not affect students' ability to answer the third questions. This suggests that spacing may impose difficulty when students are first learning to perform mathematical operations, rather than when they are trying to retrieve memories of how to perform those operations.