Why Mixing Up Your Practice Can Make You Learn Better
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When students practise a new skill, it is tempting to complete the same type of question repeatedly. At first, this can feel productive. After a few questions, the method becomes familiar and answers come more quickly. However, being able to repeat a method is not always the same as knowing when to use it.
One strategy I find particularly useful in tutoring is mixing different types of questions together. Instead of completing ten nearly identical problems, a student might work through several questions that require different techniques or ways of thinking.
This makes practice more challening because the student first has to identify what the question is asking. They cannot simply repeat the steps they used in the previous problem.
Initially, this approach can feel slower. Students may make more mistakes or need additional time to decide what to do. However, that difficulty is valuable. It encourages them to recognise patterns, compare different approaches and understand why a particular method works rather than simply memorising a sequence of steps.
This is particularly important when preparing for assessments. Exams rarely tell students exactly which technique they should use, and questions from different topics are often presented alongside one another. Students need to independently recognise the appropriate approach.
Good practice should not always fell easy. Sometimes, making practice slightly less predictable is exactly what helps students become more independent and adaptable learners.
