What does the spacing effect suggest regarding learning?

The spacing effect suggests that spaced repetition enhances long-term retention by distributing learning over time rather than cramming information into a single session. This approach allows for better consolidation of knowledge and helps to reinforce memory, making it easier to recall information later. When learning is spaced out, individuals are more likely to retrieve the information successfully during future sessions – a process that strengthens memory connections. This principle is widely supported by cognitive psychology research, which indicates that spacing out study sessions leads to more durable and effective learning compared to massed practice or cramming all at once.

Other strategies, such as frequent review or cramming, do not take advantage of this psychological phenomenon, hence they do not foster the same level of retention as spaced repetition does.