As the semester winds down, resist the urge to fill every remaining class session with new content. Instead, dedicate at least one class period to a low-stakes retrieval activity such as asking students to recall key concepts, work through application problems from memory, or generate their own examples of course ideas without their notes. Research consistently shows that the act of retrieving information (rather than simply reviewing it) is one of the most powerful things students can do to consolidate what they’ve learned before the course ends. Even a 15-minute ungraded recall exercise at the start of your last few classes can meaningfully strengthen long-term retention. Bonus: it also helps students self-diagnose gaps in their understanding while there’s still time to address them.
