By Shelley Howell, Director of Faculty Development for Online Programs, and Cindy Roberts, Associate Professor of Practice, Math
How do we help students not just learn, but remember? In today’s fast-paced educational environment, knowledge retention—what we call “sticky learning”—is more important than ever. At UT San Antonio, faculty are exploring cognitive science principles and practical strategies to make learning deeper, more durable, and more meaningful for every student.
Recently, Dr. Shelley Howell, Director of Faculty Development for Online Programs and Cindy Roberts, Associate Professor of Practice in the Math Department, led a workshop on sticky learning, sharing research, classroom-tested strategies, and personal stories that illuminate how faculty can foster lasting understanding. Their insights offer a roadmap for educators seeking to move beyond surface-level memorization and toward transformative learning experiences.
The Three Types of Learners
Dr. Howell began by describing three types of learners you’ll find in any classroom:
- Surface Learners: Do just enough to get by.
- Strategic Learners: Focused on grades above all else.
- Deep Learners: Understand how they learn and strive for true understanding.
“Our goal,” Howell explained, “is to provide strategies that get students to that deeper learning piece, especially if you’re teaching in your major. We want that knowledge to stick so that they are successful when they enter the workforce.”
Cognitive Science Principles for Sticky Learning
The workshop highlighted five research-backed strategies:
- Retrieval Practice: Frequent, low-stakes quizzes or “brain dumps” reinforce memory.
- Spaced Repetition: Revisit key concepts throughout the course.
- Interleaving: Blend topics together throughout the course.
- Dual Coding: Pair text with visuals—diagrams, timelines, videos. Learning sticks better for some when they have visual or audio references.
- Elaboration: Ask students to explain concepts in their own words and reflect on their learning.
Deeper Learning Strategies in Action
Cindy Roberts, who teaches calculus for biosciences, brought these principles to life with vivid classroom examples: “I always have a student that says, ‘I have test anxiety, I can’t do this.’ And I give the example of a football player at the Super Bowl—he’s excited, he’s scared, but when play starts, practice kicks in. That’s how it works with tests and assignments. If you put that practice in, it makes a difference.”
Roberts structures her courses with repetition and application. Students watch short videos, take notes, complete web-based assignments, and then apply concepts in class through creative activities—like solving a “killer toaster” murder mystery to learn about rates of change.
She also emphasizes relevance: “If you make an assignment that they can relate to, they’re going to remember it. My students do projects about themselves… If it doesn’t apply to them, then it’s just another assignment. Why not put them in the assignment?”
Six Keys to Deeper Learning
Howell and Roberts outlined six strategies for deeper, stickier learning:
- Make Content Relevant: Use current events, let students pick topics, and connect learning to real life.
- Give Them Choices: Autonomy motivates learners and gives them ownership.
- Ask Messy Questions: Frame assignments around open-ended questions to spark critical thinking.
- Force Reflection: Require journals, blogs, or written reflections.
- Tell Them Why: Explain the purpose behind assignments and how they connect to future outcomes.
- Share Your Story: Humanize yourself as an instructor—share your academic journey and failures.
Roberts shared:
“At first, I could not get into math. I had to take remedial math, and my brother had to tutor me. I tell my students, ‘We’re going to laugh together, we’re going to cry together. There are going to be times you say, I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about, Ms. Cindy, and that’s fine. But if you’re willing to learn, you can do it. Look at me now—I’m a math professor!’”
Flexible Teaching Strategies
Empathy and flexibility also play a role in sticky learning. Howell recommends:
- Providing opportunities for extra credit
- Allowing students to drop a low quiz grade
- Permitting a few absences without penalty
- Using games and competitions to boost engagement
Roberts described her “Beast Points” system, inspired by game shows like Squid Games, where students earn points through activities and can “buy back” missed assignments or quiz points. “It makes them accountable, and it makes it fun for them… I have a leaderboard, I post after there’s an activity with Beast Points. They can see where they’re at on the leaderboard, but they don’t know what points they’re worth until the last day of class.”
Overcoming Challenges
Both instructors acknowledge common challenges:
- Student resistance to frequent quizzing
- Time constraints
- Overloading with visuals
Their advice? Explain the “why” behind strategies, keep activities short and focused, and use templates and automation tools like Canvas and Padlet to streamline processes.
Call to Action: Make Learning Stick!
As educators, our mission is to move students from surface and strategic learning to deep, sticky learning that lasts. The strategies shared by Shelley Howell and Cindy Roberts are practical, research-based, and adaptable to any discipline.
Let’s commit to providing students with opportunities for deeper and stickier learning. Try one new strategy this semester—whether it’s retrieval practice, reflection, or a creative group activity. Share your story, make content relevant, and give students choices. The results will be more engaged learners, better retention, and a classroom where knowledge truly sticks.
Ready to get started? Connect with the Office of Academic Innovation for resources, workshops, and one-on-one consultations. Let’s make learning last!
Resources
For more, review these additional resources:
- Fostering Deeper Learning
- It’s Time to Talk About Failure
- Student Success
- Bain, K. (2012). What the Best College Students Do. Harvard University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2jbv01
Support
For support, email [email protected],call 210-458-4520, or book a consultation with our TLDT experts.
