Building curriculum for an incarcerated audience: How to effectively use spaced learning

Spaced repetition is a teaching technique that strategically reintroduces lessons at intervals to help learners retain knowledge over time. This approach combats the “Forgetting Curve,” a concept that illustrates how quickly information fades if not revisited. Think about learning a new language—if you learn a phrase but don’t encounter it again for months, you’re unlikely to remember it. Spaced repetition ensures learners revisit and reinforce key concepts consistently, leading to mastery.

Designing Courses with Spaced Learning

When building a curriculum with spaced repetition, you reintroduce learning objectives after a few lessons, using varied methods to reinforce the material. By weaving these reviews into your course, you help learners internalize concepts more effectively.

Effective Modalities for Reviewing Content

1. Knowledge Checks: Assessment-style questions that allow learners to practice and demonstrate understanding. These are typically not graded but help boost confidence.
2. Checklists: Provide learners with step-by-step guides to reinforce processes.
3. Infographics: Visual aids that summarize key points.
4. Short Videos: Quick 2-3 minute clips to refresh knowledge.
5. Recaps: Concise summaries to revisit previously covered material.
6. Open-Ended Questions: Encourage reflection and deeper engagement.
7. Real-World Scenarios: Help learners apply knowledge to practical situations.

Balancing New and Repeated Content

To avoid overwhelming learners, keep reviews brief and focused. The repeated content doesn’t need to be as detailed as the original lesson. For example, if the initial lesson was a video, the review could be a text-based summary with an accompanying graphic.

Tips for Incorporating Spaced Repetition

• Start with a Review: Begin each new lesson with a recap of key concepts from previous lessons.
• Vary the Modalities: Use diverse methods to cater to different learning styles.
• Explain Knowledge Checks: When learners answer a Knowledge Check, include explanations for correct answers to reinforce understanding.
• Diversify Assessments: Use various question types—true/false, fill-in-the-blank, open-ended, scenario-based—to engage learners in multiple ways.

A Model for Spaced Learning

A well-structured course incorporates review points at regular intervals, loops back to past material through different modalities, and concludes each lesson with a review of newly introduced content. This approach strengthens memory and equips learners to apply their knowledge confidently in real-life situations.

By embedding spaced repetition into your curriculum, you create a more engaging and effective learning experience—one that empowers incarcerated learners to retain and apply the knowledge they gain.

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