In many learning domains, varied practice has been shown to enhance the retention, generalization and application of acquired skills.
Elaborative rehearsal is a means by which the learner forms multiple associations with the to-be-learned material, so that it can be recalled using a variety of cues.
Cognitive psychologists generally regard elaborative rehearsal as one of the most effective means of acquiring new information, and its basic logic – to study the material from a range of perspectives in order to form richer links with preexisting knowledge – is completely consistent with the varied practice approach.
The theoretical underpinnings of the varied practice approach stem primarily from a behavioral phenomenon discussed in the skill acquisition literature called contextual interference (Shea & Morgan, 1979).
The benefits of mixed-item blocks are apparent only some period of time after practice, indicating that the effects are primarily long-term.
Most accounts assume that it emerges because blocked practice is not sufficiently demanding to produce optimal effort or attention.
The solution to this problem is simply to interleave the training sets so that the network is forced to optimize its behavior in a way that is sensitive to both of the tasks and their statistics.
Because these effects are typically only observed after a considerable delay, these studies have focused on the neural changes occurring during the consolidation period.
Apfelbaum, Hazeltine and McMurray (2013) found consistent benefits of varied practice for children learning phonics regularities in English.
In sum, there are clear applications for varied practice for students and educators alike; tapping these principles could improve generalization of knowledge and long-term retention.