FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)Human Behavior and Effective CommunicationMedium
A flight instructor deliberately structures every ground lesson so that the most important safety point is reviewed and emphasized at the very end of the session, believing students will retain it best that way. This teaching strategy is based on which law of learning?
- ALaw of Exercise
- BLaw of Effect
- CLaw of Recency
- DLaw of Readiness
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Law of Recency
The Law of Recency states that the things most recently learned are best remembered, so material presented last in a lesson tends to be retained more strongly. This is why instructors often end lessons with a summary of the most critical points.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Law of Exercise concerns repeated practice strengthening learning, not sequencing within a session.
- B. Law of Effect concerns learning being strengthened by pleasant outcomes, not timing of presentation.
- D. Law of Readiness concerns a learner's willingness/motivation to learn, not ordering of material.
Law of Recency
A law of learning stating that things most recently learned are remembered best, making effective lesson summaries important.
- Opposite complement to the Law of Primacy
- Instructors should end lessons with key takeaways
- Supports value of lesson summaries/debriefs
Memory trick: 'Recency = Remembered Recently' — last in, first recalled.