Make it Stick by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger, and Mark A. McDaniel

Make It Stick (Belknap Press, 2014) 

Review by Megan Calvert, WD&CE, ESOL Instructor and Curriculum Designer

Through my many years of studying, getting a master’s in an education-related field, teaching and training other teachers, I have thought a great deal about learning. If you are like me, you have often asked yourself, what is the best way to get my students to learn this information? How do I get them to remember this time? Why is this student not doing well on the tests when she is doing all the assignments?

In Make it Stick, Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger, and Mark A. McDaniel lay out a series of research-backed and often counterintuitive arguments for what makes learning and teaching most effective. For example, they point out that even though teachers and students alike are drawn to activities that feel “easy,” effective learning must be effortful. Rereading textbooks and reviewing notes, though favorite study strategies, actually can mislead students into an “illusion of knowing.” We may be inclined to make sure students have the steps clear in their minds before they begin trying to solve a problem, but research shows that learning is more successful when students struggle to solve the problem themselves first.

Instead of one or two high-stakes tests, the authors provide evidence that frequent low-stakes testing and repeated retrieval practice are more effective. Rather than massed practice, which allows teachers to conveniently group lessons and unit by topic and move from one to the other, the authors recommend interleaving different topics. Lastly, although many professors who have been taught the opposite might struggle with the idea, I found it quite a relief to see yet more explanation of how accommodating students’ learning styles might satisfy preferences but does not seem to lead to better learning.

After reading Make It Stick, I found myself making a number of changes to my classroom to bring my teaching more in line with research and increase students’ learning gains. I would highly recommend this book to any instructor who is looking for a little inspiration and guidance to do the same.