Shownotes
In a world where information is just a click away, are we doing students a disservice by banning cheat sheets… or are we setting them up to fail when they don’t have formulas, definitions, chemicals, and other important information memorized?
Topics Discussed
- What are cheat sheets?
- Pros and cons of cheat sheets
- Tips for using reference guides effectively
Resources
Ellie’s Math Wheels/ELA Wheels
Brittany’s ELA/Math Reference Guides
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Transcripts
[00:00:52] Ellie: Well, to be honest, sometimes I'd be like, you should know that. Why don't you know that? But realistically, I probably shouldn't or wouldn't expect them to have it memorized. They. They should be allowed to look it up.
[:[00:01:13] Ellie: Hello?
[:[00:02:01] Ellie: Those are all very, very important questions. So before we answer those, what would we consider cheat sheets to be? They could be math or science formula lists, grammar guides, vocabulary banks.
[:[00:02:47] Ellie: Yeah, for sure. And there are definitely pros and cons to using cheat sheets or reference guides. So let's start with looking at the pros, because there are quite a few, especially when those cheat sheets are used intentionally. One significant benefit is reducing cognitive overload. According to cognitive load theory
[:[00:03:33] Brittany: Another big pro, encouraging metacognition. Students can create their own reference sheets, and when they do, they have to decide what's most important, how to organize it, how to effectively represent the information. That process in itself is studying in disguise.
[:[00:04:09] Brittany: Plus it mirrors the real world. Adults frequently use job aids, templates, help documents, and Google searches. Reference tools are essential for authentic problem solving.
[:[00:04:43] Brittany: Right. One of the most significant drawbacks is when they're used as a substitute for learning rather than a support. If students don't understand the underlying concepts, a formula alone won't be enough to help.
[:[00:05:25] They also didn't take time to be sure they actually understood the concepts because they knew they would have their notes to refer to. So that often led to them just losing confidence and spending so much time trying to look things up and getting rattled and getting frustrated that sometimes they didn't even finish their assessment. And sometimes students get overwhelmed by poorly designed reference sheets or everything that's in the notes, like there's too much text, it's cluttered information, cluttered formatting, and they don't understand the information. So it can become a distraction rather than a support.
[:[00:06:17] Ellie: Right. And finally teachers sometimes worry that if students always have a crutch, they'll never develop automaticity. There is value in committing some things to memory, like multiplication facts, standard grammar rules, or basic formulas. Like, yeah, you might not memorize every single formula, but there are some that you probably should know.
[:[00:06:51] Brittany: Correct. Yes. You should know your multiplication facts and perimeter and area and stuff like that, but when we're talking like quadratic formula and polynomials and stuff, maybe that's a little different. Yeah, so the key is balance. Cheat sheets should scaffold learning, not replace it. And we have to understand that there's a common sense that comes with them.
[:[00:07:34] Brittany: In math, formula charts are the obvious example, so area, more volume, slope, percent change, et cetera. But you can also include worked examples, visuals for integer rules, or steps for solving equation, just like your Math Wheels, Ellie.
[:[00:08:14] Just like some of those in my ELA wheels 'cause we have a few of those too. And we'll link all of those resources in the show notes in case you're interested in checking out those types of references or cheat sheet.
[:[00:08:39] Ellie: Mm. And in social studies we've seen success with timeline cards, government structure diagrams, or cause effect graphic organizers. Even difficult time period vocabulary could be included.
[:[00:09:07] Ellie: Hmm. And that just reminds me, I have a free resource in the benefit of student self-checking, and it's related to how to check your math work. You know, when checking doesn't mean, just see if there's an answer, but actually checking things in there so I can find that and add that to the show notes as well.
[:[00:09:26] Ellie: So one pro tip is for using the reference guides or the cheat sheets, is to start by not even mentioning that they exist. Teach the formula, the word, the table, the system first. Make sure students understand it, how it is used, why it is used, and when. Then introduce the guides by scaffolding their use.
[:[00:09:57] Brittany: Or better yet, have students create their own. Not only do they take more ownership, but research shows that student created references lead to higher retention than teacher provided one. Let students use an index card size a three by five inch card. Specificity is important on, and I'll explain why in a minute.
[:[00:10:28] Ellie: Mm-hmm. Okay, so we've got a list of 10 other tips, um, that you can consider using. In addition to what we've talked about, so first one is to use color coding intentionally. Encourage students to highlight formulas, key terms or steps in different colors, like red for rules and green for examples. This helps with visual retrieval and makes the sheet less overwhelming.
[:[00:11:22] Ellie: Mm-hmm.
[:[00:11:36] Ellie: That's great.
[:[00:11:48] Ellie: Gosh. I wonder how effective
[:[00:11:52] Ellie: but that's a lot of notes too. I wonder how effective it was. Oh my
[:[00:11:57] Ellie: is too funny.
[:[00:12:02] Ellie: That's awesome. Um, a third tip is to incorporate visuals or diagrams. Encourage students to draw models, number lines, graphs, or flow charts to illustrate the concepts. Many students do recall visuals more easily than the text.
[:[00:12:39] Ellie: Mm-hmm. That's a great idea. You can scaffold over time, so use a gradual release model. For example, in unit one, students could use a teacher created cheat sheet. In unit two, it could be a partially filled in sheet. Unit three could be student created. And then unit four, no sheet, but build one together for review purposes.
[:[00:13:24] Ellie: Hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. You could create a classroom reference wall. Mirror the cheat sheet content on a bulletin board or an anchor chart. Even if it's not accessible during tests. It does reinforce concepts throughout the learning process, so it might be up there for the entire unit. You can cover it up or take it down for the assessment, but it's there for them throughout the unit.
[:[00:14:00] Ellie: And then it's really important to model how to use whatever cheat sheet or reference sheet they have. Don't assume that they understand how to use it effectively. It's kind of like students using the open notes for a quiz or test, if they don't know how to use it or anything, it's pointless.
[:[00:14:24] Brittany: Then tie it to mastery checks. Consider using the cheat sheet during formative assessments, but remove it for summative ones. So students feel supported during learning, but accountable during demonstrating mastery.
[:[00:14:48] Brittany: Honestly, they can be either. It all depends on how they're used. When they're aligned with cognitive science and thoughtfully scaffolded, they can become a powerful classroom tool. And in my opinion, since they mirror the real world enough they are completely valid and useful in the classroom.
[:[00:15:21] Brittany: We'd love to know what this looks like in your classroom. Do you use reference guides, cheat sheets, or index cards? Do you let students make their own? Have they helped in your classroom or have they backfired?
[:[00:15:50] Brittany: Bye.
