The idea that learning progresses linearly, while growth often happens in leaps and remains invisible. Students often believe that every study activity should immediately lead to progress. If they don’t feel that progress, they assume the method doesn’t work. In reality, learning often requires delay, repetition, and consolidation — which can be frustrating when growth isn’t directly noticeable. Example: A student thinks they’re not learning while practicing difficult problems because it feels slow. Only during the test do they realize they’ve actually mastered the material better than expected.
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Schmidt, R. A., & Bjork, R. A. (1992). New conceptualizations of practice: Common principles in three paradigms suggest new concepts for training. Psychological Science, 3(4), 207–217.
Metcalfe, J. (2002). Is study time allocated selectively to a region of proximal learning? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 131(3), 349–363.