30 Retrieval Activity 5

Activity #R5: Retrieval, External Motivation and the Pomodoro Method

Many students are not equipped with the behavioral tools to study over days instead of all-in-one day. It can seem easier to pull an all–nighter when there is no other choice (it is either now or never! But it isn’t good for your overall well being not to mention long-term learning. 

One behavioral tool that my students have enjoyed is called the Pomodoro Method. A student named Francesco Cirillo developed this technique for short study sessions and breaks when he used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer to study (The Italian word for tomato is pomodoro). He would set his “tomato-timer” for 25 minutes and when it went off, he would then set another 5-minute time period for a break. This might be all the time you have, and that is okay OR you could set a timer again for another 25-minute interval. Oh, and I forgot to mention, you have to make your 25-minutes distraction free (no media at all and the quieter the environment the better; remember if you choose to listen to music make sure it is instrumental only).

See the Pomodoro method explained here:

A tomato-shaped kitchen timer. Around the timer are 25 minute intervals of working and 5 minutes of break. Cartoon brains jog during the work intervals and rest with water and a towel during the breaks.

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The LEARN Method: An Interactive Guide for Effective Learning Copyright © 2024 by Dr. Karla Lassonde is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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