Final answer:
The practice of interleaving may initially feel counterproductive but is actually beneficial for long-term learning. This method involves alternating study topics, which enhances problem-solving skills and retention. While it presents desirable difficulties, it leads to improved test performance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The practice of interleaving, which involves studying different subjects or topics in an alternating fashion, may feel counterproductive at first to some students. This is a direct answer to the question posed, and the statement is True. The feeling of it being counterproductive arises because interleaving can be more challenging compared to studying one topic at a time, often referred to as blocking. Despite the initial discomfort, interleaving has been shown to improve learning effectiveness in the long-term.
Interleaved practice can help by mixing different kinds of problems or material within a single study session, which has been shown to improve discrimination between concepts and enhance problem-solving skills. It contrasts with blocked practice, where learners concentrate on a single topic before moving on to another. While blocked practice can create a sense of mastery in the short term, it may lead to quicker forgetting. In contrast, students using interleaving often experience desirable difficulties, making learning feel harder initially but leading to better performance on subsequent tests.
Just as exercise routines often incorporate a variety of exercises to work out different muscle groups effectively, interleaved studying targets different cognitive 'muscles'. When revisiting material over different sessions, the brain has to work harder to recall and apply information, which improves long-term retention and understanding.