Learning Science · Retrieval, interference and forgetting
Recall, recognition and available cues
Analyse a memory check by the information its cues supply, not only by its response format.
Use the examples to connect this lesson with the earlier topics. No specialist equipment is needed.
Back to the chapterAfter reading, you can
- Compare recall and recognition demands
- Design complementary prompts
Different routes to the same knowledge
“Name the tool used to measure temperature” asks a learner to produce a term. Choosing “thermometer” from a list supplies candidate terms. Showing a pictured tool supplies another cue. These tasks overlap but do not provide identical evidence.
Recall involves producing information using the available prompt; recognition involves identifying a prior or relevant item among what is presented. Recall can be heavily cued, and recognition can require difficult discrimination between plausible alternatives. The labels alone do not tell us which particular item is harder.
Ask what the cue gives away
A first letter, a diagram or a set of options can supply part of an answer. That support may be appropriate for the goal, but it changes the claim. If the learner must later produce a term independently, include a prompt that does not show it.
A correct response can reflect partial knowledge or guessing. Ask for a reason when it serves the target, use several relevant samples and check later performance. Do not reject recognition tasks altogether; recognising the right control, symptom in a training case or warning sign can be a meaningful capability.
| Prompt | Information supplied | Work still required |
|---|---|---|
| Name this unlabelled tool | Visual appearance of the tool | Produce its term |
| Choose the term that fits this sentence | Candidate words and a sentence context | Discriminate meaning |
| Use this given word in a new sentence | The target word itself | Construct an accurate meaningful use |
| Name this tool; it starts with L | Tool appearance and first letter | Complete production with extra support |
Use prompts to teach
Begin with a manageable cue when needed, then vary prompts and reduce unnecessary support. After an attempt, provide the correct answer and relevant explanation. Repeatedly presenting misleading alternatives without correction can leave confusion rather than useful discrimination.
For practical assessment, specify the cue precisely enough to reproduce it. “With a labelled diagram” and “with an unlabelled outline” are different conditions. If progress is compared across time, preserve that distinction. Otherwise an apparent improvement may partly reflect a stronger prompt rather than a change in the learner’s knowledge.
Worked example
Checking vocabulary use
You want to check whether a learner can name a ladle, select the word appropriately and use it. How do three complementary prompts differ?
- Show an actual ladle or a clear unlabelled picture and ask its name. The object supplies a visual cue, but the learner must produce the word rather than read it from the display.
- Give a meaningful choice, such as “Use a ladle/spatula to serve soup.” The candidate terms are now visible; ask why the chosen tool fits the action.
- Ask for a new sentence using “ladle” accurately. This supplies the target word but requires meaningful use. Interpret differences with care because each prompt also calls on broader language knowledge.
The prompts check cued word production, discrimination and use under different supports. No single correct response proves every capability, and the task labels alone do not rank their difficulty.
Try it yourself
Think through each question before opening the answer.
Is all recognition easier than all recall?
Show the answer and reasoning
No. Cue strength, alternatives, knowledge and task details matter. Compare actual tasks rather than relying on the labels.
A recognition item with very plausible alternatives can be demanding, while a recall prompt may nearly supply the answer. Compare the actual information and required discrimination, not only the format name.
Why record a first-letter hint?
Show the answer and reasoning
It supplied retrieval information. The result shows performance with that cue rather than entirely unprompted production.
A hint changes what must be retrieved independently. Record it so later comparisons do not confuse stronger support with improved unprompted production.
On Monday a learner names a tool without a hint. On Friday the tool’s first letter is supplied. Is the Friday result a matched test of unaided naming?
Show the answer and reasoning
No. The first-letter cue changes the support supplied.
The result can still be useful, but progress should be described under the actual cue conditions. A fair comparison would preserve or explicitly account for the support difference.
What to carry forward
- Inspect what a prompt supplies.
- Match cues to intended use.
- Combine formats when they answer complementary questions.
References
Sources supporting the explanations and learning checks in this lesson.