Using the Pause Procedure to Enhance Lecture Recall

To determine the effect of a pausing procedure (three 2-minute pauses spaced at logical breaks during lecture presentations) on two dependent variables (free recall of facts and performance on objective tests), a separate 2 (class) x 2 (procedure) factorial analysis of variance was used. Seventy-two undergraduate students enrolled in either a course on educating the learning disabled or a course on educating the emotionally disturbed. Each semester, one class served as the control group and the second as the experimental group. Students in the experimental condition scored significantly higher on both dependent variables than did the control groups.