Interleaving is a study strategy that involves mixing up study of different concept types within the same study period. For example, if I’m trying to learn which formula is needed to calculate volumes for four different geometric shapes (e.g., half cone, wedge, spheroid, and spherical cone), I might study the four formulas together in a single study session. Alternatively, the blocking study strategy involves studying the formula for one shape many times before switching to another volume formula. Research shows that interleaving helps learning, but only after a delay between study and test.

The two most recent studies I’ve published on interleaving are Foster, Mueller, Was, Rawson, and Dunlosky (2019) in Memory & Cognition, and Foster, Mueller, Dunlosky, and Finkenthal (2022) in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. Foster et al. (2019) investigated the underlying mechanism of interleaving. Foster et al. (2022) looked at whether interleaving learning of math materials could improve students’ metacognition of math concepts.