Technology to Facilitate Active Recall

What are retrieval practice and active recall?

Drawing on the work of Peterson and Peterson (1959), Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968), Agarwal et al (2021) and others, retrieval practice describes the importance of recalling information from the long term memory, making it available to the working memory and strengthening long-term retention.

In practice, this means challenging students to recall information during lessons, making them active instead of passive participants in their learning. As we will see, this shift can be challenging and uncomfortable, but is essential.

Almost all information stored in short term memory that is not rehearsed is lost within 18 - 30 seconds. (Peterson and Peterson, 1959)

The Multi Store model of memory, described by Atkinson and Shiffrin in 1968, shows a process by which initial exposure to information can lead to the information being either forgotten or absorbed into either the sort term, or long term memory. It is through rehearsal that information becomes established in the long term memory and through retrieval that information is transferred form the long term, to the working memory. It is this last stage that is important to retrieval practice.

Active recall and retrieval practice are closely linked, sometimes considered to be synonyms. For me, there is a subtle difference between the two terms.

'Active recall' focuses on the actions of the student, while retrieval practice explains the broader overall theory. Both terms are essentially advocating the same thing, but I appreciate terminology that emphasises student actions and agency.

In the Chartered College for Teaching research summary, entitled, 'What is retrieval practice and how can I use it in the classroom?', Tom Sherrington and Sara Stafford outline how the retrieving information from our long term memory into our working memory strengthens our capacity to build knowledge.

The implications of this are significant.

Knowledge is the foundation for creativity. In Sherrington's famous metaphor, 'the Learning Rainforest', knowledge forms the 'trunk' of successful learning, while the 'canopy' represents creativity and new ideas. The 'roots' represent stable learning conditions. With sufficient knowledge, creativity blossoms and has a deep and interesting structure. Without knowledge, creativity is stifled, superficial and short-lived.

Children need to remember information in order to successfully and eloquently express their ideas. This information can be technical, such as vocabulary, facts or concepts, or procedural.

There is an important opportunity for metalearning present here. Children should be aware of the need to recall information and, as we will see, the difficult in doing this! They should be aware that learning takes effort and the willingness to confront knowledge gaps, rectify them and then re-evaluate.

Why is active recall important?

This year, while walking to work, I would listen to the same phrases in Mandarin every morning. At first, I could understand barely anything. After several months of listening to the same phrases, I could understand most of what was being said.

This was a was comfortable and rewarding experience that I looked forward to every day. However, in a speaking situation, I realised that I could remember almost nothing!

My learning had been passive, listening to phrases playing one after another without my control. Whether I knew the language or not, the next phrase played and never challenged me to reproduce anything I had listened to.

When I switched to a more active process, using Book Creator to make flashcards and regularly testing myself with these, I started to make real progress in being able to recall and speak basic sentences.

Book Creator is ideal for making digital flashcards. Learners can include audio and photo prompts and turning the digital pages makes active recall quick and effective.

Challenging yourself to produce language and phrases is uncomfortable, laying bare deficiencies and gaps in learning. But it is by addressing this discomfort that real progress in learning is made.

Methods of practising active recall

The simplest way of learners realising what hey know and don't know is to take a blank piece of paper and write everything down that they can. This activity can start off simple, but progress to a spider web of topics, connections and areas for study. This simple act of active recall can be done immediately after studying, or when some time has passed (ideally both!)

Flashcards are another, more structured form of active recall, where topics are broken down into learnable chunks that enable learners to challenge themselves to explain concepts and check against explanations on the other side as often as is required. The very act of making flashcards is important, challenging learners to take ownership of distilling information into the components that are vital for success.

'Low-stakes' testing, or quizzing is another important means of active recall. Teachers might provide quizzes during lessons, after key inputs or videos, or at the end of lessons. Students get used to these tests and see them as useful tools for assessing the extent of their learning, to inform their future efforts.

Explaining concepts, either to oneself, or to a friend is another way of actively recalling information. Teachers often ask children to 'turn to the person next to you' in class, and answer a question. This can be a simple method of active recall in class, with the added bonus of requiring all children to participate and answer questions ready for whole class discussion.

Flashcards - Book Creator, Keynote, Google Slides

The iPad app, Book Creator, is a good solution for making digital flashcards. It provides a platform that is more aimed at children than tools like Anki or Quizlet and allows primary children to organise and review their learning.

Using Book Creator, students can add text, writing and drawings to a prompt slide. This can give as many clues as needed, even using the emojis from the text tool as further prompts, or recording audio phrases. On the next page, the answer or explanation can be given. The benefits of using Book Creator for this are that it is quick, easy and fun to do and that pages can be turned almost instantly, without being able to see the next page until it is turned.

Children can use Book Creator to make multi-media sets of flashcards, which they can use to test their own recall of facts and topics.

Slide deck apps like Google Slides or Keynote could also be used for making flashcards, since they support the process of breaking topics down into manageable chunks. However, for me, the fluency of turning pages in Book Creator makes it the best tool for making digital flashcards.

Mindmaps - Freeform/Canva Whiteboards

Freeform and whiteboards in Canva both serve similar functions, allowing students to freely express ideas using writing, text, images, lines and shapes. This can be a very fluid and dynamic experience for students. Set up correctly, students can even collaborate on boards, sharing their knowledge in a pair or a group.

As with using any technology or method or learning, children will need training in how to use digital whiteboards effectively. Although they have freedom to recall knowledge and make connections as they see fit, they will benefit from seeing clear examples of this kind of expression and the teacher setting high standards for organisation and quality.

Asking children to create mindmaps is a good way to encourage them to retrieve information. Freeform and Canva whiteboards allow multi-media whiteboards to be created

Frequent, low stakes testing - Google Forms, Kahoot, Wayground

Many teachers engage children through frequent, low stakes testing during lessons and at the end of topics as assessments. These can be as simple as asking children directly in class to explain something, asking children to explain something to their peers, show their mini-whiteboard, or answer questions in short, written tests. All of these methods prompt children to retrieve information, strengthening recall.

In some cases, digital platforms can be useful and engaging ways of prompting children to recall information. Digital platforms have the added bonus of providing instant results and storing results for continues teacher assessment.

Digital platforms like Kahoot and Wayground have features that can engage and refocus children, offering scores, mini-games leaderboards and other gamified features. Wayground in particular offers a wide range of response types, meaning that children can answer in short sentences, word clouds, from multiple choice, or other methods.

Google Forms has the advantage of integrating seamlessly with the Google ecosystem, if the school has adopted this. Quiz assignments created in Google Classroom stores children's marks centrally, making teacher assessment and tracking seamless.

All of these methods can offer effective ways of prompting active recall, teachers will need to use their best judgement whether to use a traditional method, such as a paper-test or mini whiteboard, or a digital tool to frequently prompt children to recall their learning.

Explaining concepts - iMovie, Voice Memo

As explained above, sometimes asking children to pause in their learning and explain a concept to their peers is an effective means of prompting their recall of information.

Technology can take this a step further, encouraging children to turn these explanations into outcomes themselves. This could be through children using Voice Memo to keep an audio journal of their learning, or using iMovie to add images of their learning and use the voiceover tool to narrate this. Children could use screen record on an iPad to record their voice speaking over apps, such as Google Earth, or even use AR tools, such as those in Delightex (CoSpaces) to narrate AR scenes. All of these prompt children to draw upon their learning, strengthening their memory of concepts.

Conclusions

Like many physical activities, learning is hard and required patience, perseverance and determination. This is something that we should teach children, helping them to be aware of what is required to develop their knowledge and skills. We should also be aware and help children be aware that due to the demanding nature of learning, children need time to relax and recover after periods of effort when they are really grappling with knowledge.

In terms of using technology for Active Recall, teachers will need to decide when to use technology and when to use traditional methods. We have explored some of the benefits of digital tools, including being able to add different types of media and engagement benefits. However, there are occasions when traditional, non-screen based methods are appropriate and teachers will need to consider this balance carefully.

Top of the Apps (part 2)

In part 1, we explained why Voice Memo, Google Classroom, Canva, Keynote and Book Creator are essential iPad apps for primary education.

One thing these apps have in common is simplicity. This makes them versatile and able to be used seamlessly in lessons across the primary curriculum.

In part 2, we consider five more essential iPad apps that have the potential to enhance and transform children's work at primary level. These are Freeform, iMovie, Scratch Junior, Arduino Science Journal and Blue's Blocks. We will look at the features of these and the creative and learning opportunities that they present and how they impact subjects across the primary curriculum.

Freeform

Freeform is like a huge, digital piece of paper that children can zoom in and out on. Especially when combined with iPad styluses, this allows for a fluid and organic way for children to brainstorm ideas, record and organise their ideas and combine media including text, images, shapes and virtual sticky notes.

Children can use Freeform in the initial planning stages of work across the curriculum. This could be generating and exploring ideas for writing, planning practical projects, or linking ideas in maths.

Work done in Freeform can also represent the final product of work done in a lesson. A mindmap exploring a topic, a diagram or a collage of work could be screenshotted and saved as work for a lesson, or form part of a larger piece of work.

Freeform offers a fluid, seamless way for children to record their ideas and combine media

The advantage of children using Freeform for these types of work is its simplicity. It is possible for children to work on collaborative whiteboards in other apps like Canva, but setting one up and using the tools requires several more steps than doing the same in Freeform. On the other hand, there may be times when the additional features of a whiteboard in Canva are required and children may need the teacher's guidance in choosing the best tool for the task.

iMovie

Filmmaking is a powerful way for children to express and organise their ideas. iMovie offers a good balance of creative effects and simplicity of use, making it an essential iPad app for primary children.

One of the main benefits of iPads for primary children is their portability and simplicity. This means that children can easily take photos and videos of things they encounter, their work, themselves and other people.

Video can be a powerful tool for self-assessment in PE. It can be a way of documenting work in art, science, music or on field trips. Video is also an excellent way for children to develop their oracy, as they produce commentaries, drama videos or interviews.

Using iMovie, children can seamlessly import and order their photos and videos. They can use the microphone tool to record their voice over still images, allowing them to create podcasts. They also learn about the process of editing films, needing to plan camera shots and include establishing shots, close ups and cutaway shots. Children can add text to their films, titles and change effects to create period-specific pieces or news videos.

Filmmaking has benefits across the curriculum, including allowing children to record their ideas using their voices and chosen images

Children can also easily replace green backgrounds with images or videos saved on their iPads. The key to this is to create a project with the background image or video in, then import the video filmed in front of a greenscreen and press 'import as green/bluescreen'.

iMovie contains some limitations, text and special effects are limited compared to other video apps, such as Google Videos. It is also sometimes hard for children to zoom in and out on the timeline with their finger and thumb and to cut images and film clips precisely.

I have used iMovie with primary children very successfully for a number of years and believe it is an essential iPad tool that children should be taught to use fluently.

Scratch Junior

Scratch Junior is a coding app that can be used to teach children about principles of coding, including sequence, loops and events.

Scratch Junior can also be used by children to tell stories through creating animations. Once children have learned the basics of programming a character to move, hide, show and to speak, they can use the microphone to record their own voices talking as the character, or narrating scenes. In this way, what started as a coding app becomes an app that children can use to rehearse their ideas before writing, or to create final products where they use their writing to make an animated film.

Usefully, children can take photographs of backgrounds, meaning that they can create films about settings that they are learning about, or non-fiction environments. Children can also paint their own sprites, or even take photos of things they are learning about and use these as sprites (in order to do this Scratch Junior needs access to the camera in the iPad settings).

The potential for children to bring their ideas to life through using their voices and animation extends the capabilities of Scratch Junior far beyond it being a coding tool. In fact, Scratch Junior becomes a great way for children to use their coding skills in lessons beyond computing.

Arduino Science Journal

Arduino Science Journal functions like a digital science book that uses the iPad's sensors and allows children to record their observations using text and photographs. It is a good way of giving children access to a simple data logger, allowing them to meet the requirements of the science national curriculum, including key stage 1 working scientifically - 'gathering and recording data to help in answering questions', lower key stage 2 - 'use a range of equipment including thermometers and data loggers' and upper key stage 2 - 'take measurements using a range of scientific equipment'.

When children begin a new experiment, they can choose to add data from a wide range of sensors, including sound pitch, sound intensity, acceleration, brightness, pressure and compass. These sensors should allow children to collect and interpret data about experiments in a range of contexts across the national curriculum including conditions for plant growth, weather change, light reflection and opacity, sound and movement. Children could even use the iPads to track movement in sport, although a safe way would have to be found to hold them!

Arduino Science Journal functions as a digital science book, teaching children about combining data, images and typed observations

As well as use of the sensors themselves, Arduino Science Journal teaches children about the process of working scientifically; making observations, recording data and drawing further observations and questions.

Blue's Bots

Blue's Bots is an app created for the purpose of programming the Bluebots, developed by TTS. Bluebots are an evolution of Beebots, which have been used for a long time to teach children about problem solving, giving instructions in sequence and debugging.

Bluebots have several advantages over Beebots. They are rechargeable, making them more environmentally friendly. They are clear, meaning children can see the components inside them and gain an understanding of how robots are controlled by motors and circuits. Perhaps most significantly, Bluebots are able to connect to the Blue's Bots app via Bluetooth and can be programmed using a block-based interface, similar to Scratch.

It is worth noting that in order for an iPad to connect to a Bluebot, both Bluetooth and location services must be turned on in the iPad settings.

The Blue's Bots programming interface is perfect for extending children in Year 1 and 2 who have mastered the process of programming Bluebots physically. Programming via the block-based interface add a layer of abstraction that challenges children and gives them additional possibilities. Importantly, children can now used loops to program the robots, unlocking discussion of pattern spotting. They can also program the robots to turn in 45 degree angles. It is theoretically possible to create and use variables while programming in the Blue's Bots app, although children are unlikely to need these. Similarly, while conditional blocks are present, the lack of sensor inputs in the Bluebots means that these are unlikely to be used.

Blue's Bots supports computing and maths teaching in years 1, 2 and 3

Blue's Bots is an essential iPad app because it allows children to extend their use of Bluebots into Maths lessons. Children can now program precise movement and shapes, solving more complex problems and accomplishing year 2 and 3 maths objectives.

Conclusions

The five apps from part one, Voice Memo, Google Classroom, Canva, Keynote and Book Creator, along with Scratch Junior, Blue's Bots, Arduino Science Journal, Freeform and iMovie, represent a suite of apps that allow children to express and organise their ideas across subjects.

It is really beneficial if children can become 'experts' in using apps. They should learn to use their full features and produce work of a high quality in apps, before being introduced to too many others. In this way, children become aware of the capabilities of apps and can make informed choices about selecting them, or other apps to use.

There are still many iPad apps to mention for future discussions! These include Garageband - an incredible creative app, the Google Suite of apps and other subject-specific apps. We will explore these in future blogs.

Using Technology to Teach about Sustainability

Why should primary education include sustainability?

The November 2025 curriculum review, 'Building a world class curriculum for all', identified five areas of applied knowledge that needed greater attention within the curriculum. These were:

• oracy

• financial literacy

• media literacy

• digital literacy

• education on climate change and sustainability

As the review states,

'Given the significance of climate change for our society and and the planet, it is crucial that young people benefit from an understanding of the climate crisis' causes, consequences and possible solutions and that they are empowered with the necessary knowledge to thrive in tomorrow's industries and tackle the serios challenges facing our planet.'

The review notes that there is currently no statutory requirement to teach climate change in key stage 1 and 2, beyond a reference in Citizenship.

The review also points out that one of the benefits of teaching children about climate change is providing them with the knowledge that they will need to enter future work. Expansion of careers in green technology will provide young people with exciting opportunities to apply their skills and as the review states, the expansion of green technology is 'creating new jobs and affecting nearly all aspects of the economy.'

Teaching children about sustainability gives them awareness of a growing green jobs market

The review notes that 'the current Geography curriculum has notable gaps in relation to climate change' and that sustainability form part of a 'core body of 'citizenship content at primary.'

The review also recommends that the 'science curriculum explicitly develops students' understanding of the scientific principles that explain climate change and sustainability'.

The 2023 government publication, 'Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children's service systems', sets of the vision of the United Kingdom being 'the world leading education sector in sustainability and climate change by 2030.'

Opportunities of promoting sustainability highlighted in the report include.

• Learning about green skills and jobs

• The beneficial effects on physical and mental health of spending time with nature

• Children becoming more actively involved in their local environment

• Reduced energy demand

• Adding health, biodiversity and learning and play opportunities to the local environment

• Adapting buildings to climate change risks

This is stated to be achieved through four aims:

1) Excellence in education...preparing all young people for a world impacted by climate change through learning and practical experiences

2) Net zero

3) Resilience to climate change, including adapting education buildings to prepare for climate change

4) A better environment for future generations, enhancing biodiversity, improving air quality and improving access to nature

The 2023 publication states that, 'by 2025, all education settings will have appointed a sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan.'

These two reports do a good job at pointing out the practical benefits of education on sustainability. They offer excellent strategies to achieve these and signpost schools to organisations that offer useful support, including the National Education Nature Park and Let's Go Zero.

My perspective is that teaching children value their environment also teaches them to value themselves and others. Children love watching things grow and thrive, which is why they love gardening, monitoring birds and insects and taking photos of nature. This sense of valuing the things around them carries over into their sense of self-worth and sense of empathy. It also gives them a stake in their surroundings - their home, school and local community.

Children who learn about sustainability learn to value their environment, themselves and each other

Sustainability brings children together

The need for a sustainable future is an issue that connects children across communities and across the world. This is a huge opportunity for children to connect with those in other communities and countries and to think beyond themselves, developing empathy and compassion. Rising to address the challenges of climate change can empower children and help them understand the challenges that other children face around the world.

Children nowadays have the opportunities to connect with and contact schools in other countries in ways that were not possible before electronic communication and video calling.

How can technology help schools teach children about sustainability

At primary level, sustainability can offer a valuable context for work done across the curriculum.

This can include writing (poetry, persuasive letters), maths (measurement, statistics), computing (programming, creating digital content), art (painting, drawing), in fact work in almost every subject!

We will now explore some of the ways that technology can support exploration of sustainability and project work.

Microbit

Microbits are one of the best devices available to teach physical computing at primary level. They are self contained input and output devices, able to measure light and temperature and display these using the in-build 25 pixel screen.

In Computing or DT (or a mixture of both), children can build and program Microbit devices that record the temperature and light levels of growing plants. They can program the Microbits to display these readings and to respond when readings get below a certain level. This kind of project introduces them to the world of smart farming, where technology is used to grow crops at a greater yield with intelligent use of water.

The Microbit Foundation website has examples of simple programming projects featuring light sensors. These could form a great starting point for children, who could suggest ways that these projects could be improved in order to grow plants.

Apps for Good

I have written about Apps for Good here, and I think it is one of the most impactful uses of technology available to children at school.

Apps for Good is a charity which offers children the chance to develop an app with the goal of improving an aspect of the world around them. There are currently three categories - Apps for Climate Change, Apps for Social Action and AI for Good.

The Innovate for Climate Change project in Apps for Good is a motivating and rewarding way for children to explore sustainability

Children learn the process of identifying problems, planning a solution, designing and working within a team. They have the opportunity to engage with professionals for feedback and can submit their finished app, along with a promotional film, into a national showcase.

Children use the App Lab in Code.org to build their app. On the face of it, this can seem intimidating, with blocks of code written in Java. However, a working app can be built with only a few types of blocks of code and the code.org App Development course does an excellent job of teaching this.

Children can build a functioning app in App Lab using just two blocks of code: the 'onEvent' block and the 'set screen' block

Canva

In terms of children sharing messages or ideas about sustainability, Canva for Education is one of the most powerful tools available.

Schools who sign up for the Educational version of Canva can offer their students the full range of creative tools available to use.

Children can then use the Creative tools in Canva to share their messages and ideas about promoting sustainability in school. This can include campaigns, information posters and infographics.

Another powerful feature of Canva is the ability for children to work collaboratively. Children can use the collaborative whiteboard tool in Canva to brainstorm ideas about sustainability and related projects. This is a good way for children to share ideas on projects such as the Apps for Good project detailed above.

Photography and filming

Children taking photos is a simple and effective way for them to learn to appreciate and value their surroundings. This is particularly true of children have the opportunity to exhibit (or even sell!) their photos. Children can also combine their photography work with work in maths, counting and drawing conclusions from their photos, or art, using their photos as a basis for drawings about their environment.

Teaching photography to children helps them to value the biodiversity in their local environment

Useful Websites

Some useful websites to give children access to for their work on sustainability include:

Air Quality Index - World's Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index

Graphical representation of air quality sensors from around the world

Costal Climate Central - Sea level rise and coastal flood risk maps -- a global screening tool by Climate Central

Data about the impact of rising sea levels

Enroads - En-ROADS

Wide range of data about measurements relating to climate change

Google Earth Timelapse - Timelapse – Google Earth Engine

Children can view satellite photos showing the effects of climate change, i.e. glaciers melting, rainforests disappearing

Conclusions

Primary schools will succeed in their approach to sustainability when they enact achievable, visible initiatives that promote awareness and appreciation of a sustainable environment. Some of the initiatives that schools can undertake will depend on the location of the school, resources, time and expertise available and curriculum demands.

Teaching children about sustainability brings worthwhile benefits to schools and to children. Sustainability gives learning across the curriculum meaning and a valuable context. It can help link subjects together and can raise the status of the schools as being forward thinking and able to lead in one of the most pressing issues we face.

For children, teaching them about sustainability helps them to think of issues beyond their own immediate needs and teaches them to be compassionate, responsible and to value the precious environment and resources that they have.