B.S. Research Paper Example (Empirical Research Paper)

1 The Effects of Interleaving Versus Blocking for Learning to Conjugate Verbs in the Spanish Language Jon Student, Psychology 199, Spring and Fall 2016 PID# A1234567 Thurgood Marshall College Faculty Advisor: Professor Timothy Rickard _____ _____ Faculty advisor signature DateYour faculty advisor will have to read the completed Paper prior to submission. Their signature and date, indicating approval of the Paper , is required. This Example was written by a student who had the opportunity to assist with multiple aspects of experimental Research in a laboratory at UCSD (including completion of data collection and subsequent data analysis).

2 For further information about the BS Paper requirement, please visit: For information and tips about writing Research papers in APA style, please visit: Name, when Research was conducted, PIDC ollege, faculty advisor Article title Research Paper Example ( empirical Research Paper ) This is an Example of a Research Paper that was written in fulfillment of the Research Paper requirement. It uses APA style for all aspects except the cover sheet (this page; the cover sheet is required by the department).

3 It describes Research that the author was involved in while taking the PSYC 199 course. Running head: INTERLEAVING AND LANGUAGE LEARNING 1 The Effects of Interleaving Versus Blocking for Learning to Conjugate Verbs in the Spanish Language Jon Student Department of Psychology University of California, San Diego Author Note Jon Student, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego. This article was completed in fulfillment of the requirements for the author s Bachelor of Science ( ) degree in Psychology at the University of California, San Diego.

4 The author was advised by Steven C. Pan and Professor Timothy C. Rickard. Please address correspondence to: Jon Student, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109. Email: is the title page in traditional APA style. Name and affiliationArticle title Author note Author Notes have up to four paragraphs. These often discuss author affiliation, any change affiliation, acknowledgments, and addresses for correspondence. INTERLEAVING AND LANGUAGE LEARNING 2 Abstract Interleaving, a learning technique which involves practicing on multiple skills in parallel, goes against the standard method of blocking (or blocked training) that is common in schools and in many types of implicit skill training (for Example , practicing a sport).

5 While blocked training is convenient for many learners, several previous studies have shown that interleaving can yield statistically significant advantages in learning and in improving memory over blocking. The present study explored the effects of interleaving versus blocked training for learning Spanish verb conjugation skills. Participants with many different language backgrounds (excepting Spanish) learned to conjugate verbs in the Spanish imperfect and preterite tenses in either a blocked format or interleaved format (in a between-subjects design).

6 After a one-week delay, a verb conjugation test was administered. On average, participants learned Spanish verb conjugation skills better if they had been trained using interleaving. This result suggests that interleaving can be beneficial for foreign language learning. The Abstract is typically no more than 250 words in length. It is prefaced with the centered word Abstract , and is a one-paragraph summary. It is not indented. INTERLEAVING AND LANGUAGE LEARNING 3 The Effects of Interleaving Versus Blocking for Learning to Conjugate Verbs in the Spanish Language For over a decade, learning scientists have compared the effects of learning one skill or topic at a time (blocking or blocked training) against a technique in which two or more skills are learned simultaneously by switching back and forth between them (interleaving or interleaved training).

7 Some studies have found benefits of interleaving and others have found benefits to blocking. For instance, interleaving benefits have been observed for learning algebraic rules ( , Mayfield & Chase, 2002) and geometric concepts ( , Taylor & Rohrer, 2010), whereas blocking benefits have been observed for learning to identify degrees of varying line segments ( , Goldstone, 1996) and French pronunciation rules ( , Carpenter & Mueller, 2013). Most schools implement blocking for a variety of topics because classes typically do not have enough time during the day to get through entire lesson plans.

8 The use of blocked scheduling, wherein only one skill or concept is covered at one time, alleviates these types of problems. Other reasons include the fact that it is easier for both teachers and students to use blocking because it involves simpler schedules. But is this type of training method optimal for learning, and more importantly, does it yield better retention of learned information and skills over time than interleaving? To date, there has been little evidence of benefits of interleaving for language learning, relative to blocking.

9 Specifically, in an experiment where English-speaking participants learned French pronunciation rules ( , Carpenter and Mueller, 2013), practice occurred in blocked or interleaved format and was immediately followed by a final test. Performance was better after blocked training. However, that study measured the direct and immediate retention of learned information and not necessarily the information that would still be remembered after participants The Introduction section is the first major section of text.

10 It introduces the topic under investigation, reviews prior Research on it, and discusses the Research that is to follow. Article title INTERLEAVING AND LANGUAGE LEARNING 4 were able to spend time doing other everyday tasks. By contrast, in the present study, which examined the use of blocked or interleaved training for learning Spanish verb conjugation skills ( , a type of grammar), such time was given by forcing participants to wait a week before another practice session and another week before testing measures were conducted.