If you've been following learning science research, you've probably heard of spaced repetition and active recall. But there's a technique that combines both—and produces one of the largest effect sizes ever measured in educational psychology.
What is Successive Relearning?
Successive relearning is the practice of restudying material across multiple sessions until you can successfully recall it in each session. Unlike simple spaced repetition, it emphasizes mastery within each session before moving on.
The key insight: you don't just review once and move on. You keep practicing until you get it right, then come back later and do it again. This combination of retrieval practice and spaced learning produces remarkable results.
The Research
In a landmark 2013 study by Rawson & Dunlosky, successive relearning produced an effect size of d=4.19—one of the largest ever recorded for any educational intervention. To put that in perspective:
- An effect size of 0.4 is typically considered meaningful in education
- An effect size of 0.8 is considered large
- Successive relearning at 4.19 is off the charts
How Scholium Implements This
Scholium's study sessions are designed around successive relearning principles. When you study a topic, you'll practice until you can recall the material correctly. The FSRS algorithm then schedules your next review at the optimal time for long-term retention.
This means you get the best of both worlds: mastery-focused practice sessions combined with scientifically-optimized spacing.
Try It Yourself
The next time you're studying, don't just read through your flashcards once. Practice until you can recall each one correctly from memory, then trust the algorithm to bring them back at the right time.