40 pages • 1 hour read
Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDanielMake It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Preface-Chapter 2Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Preface Summary
Make It Stick opens with a short preface. The authors claim that “the most effective learning strategies are not intuitive” (ix). They introduce themselves as Henry Roediger and Mark McDaniel, cognitive scientists who study how people think (with an emphasis on learning and memory). The third, Peter Brown, is a storyteller. The authors use storytelling to communicate recent studies about best practices for learning and remembering. They allude to education policy, but the book itself is not a call to action in said area. It is instead a guide on how to improve learning, which is useful for “students and teachers, of course, and for all readers for whom effective learning is a high priority” (xi).
Chapter 1 Summary: “Learning Is Misunderstood”
The first chapter defines key terms and maps the book. Most essential is the authors’ purpose in writing: To explain effective learning strategies. The authors define learning as “acquiring knowledge and skills and having them readily available from memory so you can make sense of future problems and opportunities” (2). They outline several specific components of the learning process with a focus on effort exertion (learning takes work in order to make material “stick”), regular retrieval, and usage of information versus cramming or memorizing.
The authors explain their methodology and sources, stating various arguments that they will explicate. One of the claims they make is that “the most effective learning strategies are often counterintuitive” (2). The American education system and personal intuitions do not necessarily make use of scientifically-proven learning strategies. Even so, the authors insist that individuals can largely dictate the capacity of their own intellectual abilities (7).
The authors’ evidence comprises reputable research following the scientific method and subjected to professional peer review. This means that researchers conducted experiments that met “rigorous criteria for design and objectivity” and were vetted by the scientific community (9). The authors also plan to use narrative anecdotes to illustrate main points.
The authors start their exploration by rejecting the common belief that repetition encourages durable learning (an example would be rereading a textbook to retain it long-term). They cite multiple studies from the late-20th and early-21st centuries that prove the ineffectiveness of mere repetition. Rather, spaced practice that requires recall (revisiting material days after a first reading) contributes to longer-term learning. Still, students and educators alike cling to the belief that exposure and familiarity equate to learning. The authors hope to correct this tendency.
The authors also wish to address testing. While many people associate testing with “memorization at the expense of a larger grasp of context or creative ability,” the authors encourage a revision, suggesting that people conceive testing “as practical retrieval of learning from memory”—which would make testing a tool for learning rather than an endpoint (19).
Chapter 2 Summary: “To Learn, Retrieve”
This chapter addresses retrieval, or the prompted recalling of information previously learned. The authors call retrieval one of the most “potent tool[s] for learning and durable retention” (43). In practice, retrieval can take many forms, one being regular testing.
Tests and quizzes, especially those that require a considerable level of effort (open-ended essays rather than multiple choice questions), aid learning and retention in demonstrable ways. Which isn’t to say multiple choice doesn’t have benefits for retrieval and recall when compared to strategies like rereading. There is a detectable pattern in student responses to low-stakes test-heavy classes: Students tend to like the method, have reduced anxiety about heavily weighted end-of-term tests, and feel more mastery of the material when tested regularly (36, 41). These patterns hold true for different levels of education and learners of all ages.
The authors remind readers that while a great deal of learning takes place in formal education systems, so much can be controlled by individuals. Testing need not come from teachers in a classroom; students who self-test also reap the benefits that classroom testing can provide (i.e., studying with flashcards). If learners practice retrieval, preferably numerous times and spaced out over time, they should improve their learning.
The authors also discuss feedback, an essential part of the testing process. Feedback is important because it prevents students from retaining incorrect information. Studies show that corrective feedback is most effective when slightly delayed. Open-note testing is effective for immediate results because students can consult material, but they’re more likely to retain information should feedback come later (a teacher’s note, revisiting material after a test, etc.).
Preface-Chapter 2 Analysis
Since Make It Stick is argument-driven, the chapters are analytical and present clear claims backed by scientific evidence (and illustrated through narrative anecdotes about various expert learners). The authors explicitly state their goals, methodology, and conclusions. Chapters are divided into subsections that each discuss a particular argument and end with a “Takeaway” section that contains a distilled recap of the chapter’s main claims. The most important terms and concepts are italicized and repeated several times so the reader has visual cues to understand the book’s argument.
Similarly, the authors employ some of their strategies for learning in the text itself: “We unabashedly cover key ideas more than once, repeating principles in different contexts across the book. The reader will remember them better and use them more effectively as a result” (x-xi). They state this confidently because they stand by the learning principles they present. These principles suggest that repeated, spaced-out exposure to material and connections to multiple contexts leads to more durable learning.
The authors are strategic about their references. They combine thorough explanations of some studies with passing mentions of others to deliver what they hope to be the most manageable, compelling, and convincing way to prove their claims about learning. For example, in Chapter 2, the authors recount studies with subjects at the professional, college, junior high school, and middle school levels that all proved the efficacy of testing. However, the authors don’t consider differences in individuals’ preferred learning styles, nor do they discuss learning disabilities or strategies for addressing specific challenges at this point of the book. The science proves trends—trends that appear significant—but the reader is left without explanations for results that deviate from the norm.
Make It Stick’s science is about learning in general, but many examples pertain to formal schooling, as schools are designated spaces for learning. The authors regularly discuss common tactics for studying and often illuminate why these conventions are misguided—as easy approaches do not embed information in the brain as effectively as less intuitive ones.
