Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

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MENTAL MODEL · M2296

Interleaving

Interleaving
Learn & MetacognitionHigh supportCognitive Psychology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

In contrast to blocked practice (aaabbbccc), interleaving (abcabcabc) mixes different types of problems together. Although practice is more difficult (higher error rate), long-term retention and transfer are significantly stronger.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Exam preparation strategy: when reviewing, don't just focus on one subject per day; instead, interleave math, English, and history. This trains the brain's ability to retrieve different knowledge models at any time.

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Interleaving practice of different topics/skills enhances discrimination and long-term mastery more than blocked practice, because the 'effort' during retrieval strengthens learning.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InterleavingZH · Explicit
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