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Effect of Spaced Repetition on Long-Term Retention of Human Anatomy Knowledge

Abstract

The study examines the effect of spaced repetition on the long-term retention of human anatomy knowledge, with emphasis on how repeated exposure to anatomical information at planned intervals may support sustained recall and understanding among undergraduate students. Human anatomy involves extensive structural details, terminology, spatial relationships, and functional associations that may be difficult to retain when learning is concentrated within short periods. Spaced repetition provides a structured approach to revisiting previously learned information and may support more durable retention of anatomical knowledge. The study will assess the effect of spaced repetition on students’ retention of selected human anatomy knowledge. The specific objectives will include determining students’ level of anatomical knowledge before exposure to spaced repetition, assessing knowledge retention following the use of spaced repetition, comparing retention performance between students exposed to spaced repetition and those receiving conventional revision, and determining areas of anatomy in which students demonstrate greater or lesser long-term retention. The study will also assess students’ ability to recall and identify anatomical structures after an appropriate retention period. A quasi-experimental research design will be adopted for the study. An appropriate sample of undergraduate students studying human anatomy or related health science courses will be selected using an appropriate sampling technique and assigned to relevant study groups. Data will be collected using standardized anatomy knowledge tests administered at baseline and at appropriate intervals following the learning intervention. The data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while appropriate inferential tests will be applied to determine differences in knowledge retention between the study groups. The study is expected to reveal that students exposed to spaced repetition may demonstrate improved long-term retention of human anatomy knowledge compared with students relying primarily on conventional revision practices. Greater retention may be observed in the recall and identification of anatomical structures, terminology, and spatial relationships that are repeatedly reinforced at planned intervals. However, some complex, closely related, or highly detailed anatomical structures may remain more difficult to retain despite repeated revision. The findings will be useful to anatomists, anatomy educators, curriculum planners, and health science educators involved in undergraduate anatomy teaching. The study may provide useful evidence on the application of structured learning and revision strategies to improve the retention of extensive anatomical information. It may also support the development of anatomy revision programmes that incorporate repeated learning activities, practical identification exercises, digital resources, and other appropriate reinforcement methods. The study will conclude by determining the effect of spaced repetition on the long-term retention of human anatomy knowledge among undergraduate students. It is recommended that spaced repetition should be considered as a complementary learning strategy in anatomy education, particularly for reinforcing anatomical terminology, structure identification, and spatial relationships. Further studies involving larger student populations and longer follow-up periods are recommended to establish the sustained effectiveness of spaced repetition across different areas of human anatomy.

Keywords: Spaced repetition, long-term retention, human anatomy, anatomy knowledge, anatomy education, undergraduate students, knowledge retention, anatomy learning, anatomical structures, anatomical terminology, structure identification, revision strategies, memory retention, practical anatomy, medical education.