Blocked vs Interleaved Practice
Practicing one skill repeatedly (blocked) versus mixing different skills (interleaved) - interleaving often wins.
Also known as: Interleaved practice, Mixed practice, Varied practice
Category: Concepts
Tags: learning, practices, cognitive-science, skill-building, study-techniques
Explanation
Blocked practice means practicing one skill or topic repeatedly before moving to the next (AAABBBCCC), while interleaved practice mixes different skills or topics together (ABCABCABC). Counterintuitively, interleaving typically produces better long-term learning and transfer, even though blocked practice feels easier and produces better immediate performance. Interleaving works because it: forces discrimination between similar concepts, provides varied retrieval practice, prevents mindless repetition, and builds flexible knowledge structures. However, blocked practice may be better for complete beginners learning basic mechanics. For knowledge workers, this means: mix problem types when studying, rotate between topics in a study session, and don't be fooled by the 'fluency illusion' of blocked practice. Sports coaches and music teachers increasingly use interleaving to develop adaptive athletes and musicians.
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