Distributed practice

Distributed practice involves the inclusion of breaks into practice and is suited to continuous tasks which may become tiring. It is refers to the same amount of practice time, but distributed across more sessions.

For example, rowing would best be taught through distributed practice.  The breaks would allow the learner to engage in mental practice, which is process where the performer would ‘run; through’ the task at a cognitive level.

It is suggested that for a continuous skill a distributed practice schedule is preferable, whereas for discrete skill, mass practice is better.

In distributed practice the amount of time in rest is equal to or greater than the amount of time in work, whereas in massed practice schedule is a greater amount of time in work than in rest.
Distributed practice

Massed practice memory

Practice may not necessarily make perfect but, in general the more people practice the more they remember.

Massed practice refers to instruction in which two or more trials of a task are closely sequenced, with each trial directly following completion of the previous.

Massed practice, like cramming, involves studying occurs in one block of time. With massed practice the person will develop of feeling tired, bored that decrease efficiency for storing the material in long term memory.

In massed practice the information is not well organize in a way that allows the person to find it again in long term memory.

Massed practice can be employed with some success right before an exam. The practice immediately before the exam will leave some information highly accessible.

Massed practice promotes little long term retention of the practiced material. That is cramming may result in enough learning to get a passing grade, but will have to restudy it all over gain to prepare for the cumulative final.
Massed practice memory