How learning science, trauma-informed design, and strategic repetition support memory, confidence, and dignity in correctional education.

Learning Requires a Little Friction

Think about the last time you stayed in an Airbnb.

The first night, everything took effort.

You checked the message for the door code. You fumbled with the lock. You hunted for the light switch. You opened the wrong cabinet.

By the second day, it was easier, but not automatic. You still paused. You still thought, “Was it this one or the other one?”

And by the end of the stay, your body knew the space. You reached for the right drawer without looking. You unlocked the door without rereading the instructions. You moved through the place with confidence.

You didn’t learn the Airbnb in one pass.

You learned it by returning to the same actions after a little forgetting; each time retrieving what you remembered, correcting what you didn’t, and rebuilding the map in your head.

That’s how learning works.

You encountered it.
You half-forgot it.
You struggled to recall it.
And somewhere in that effort, it finally stuck.

That process, learning, forgetting, and retrieving, is how information moves from working memory (fragile, overloaded, short-lived) into long-term memory (durable, usable, and transferable). Cognitive science is clear on this: learning doesn’t happen when information is delivered in one go. It happens when the brain has to work to remember.

Which brings us to one of the most misunderstood moves in instructional design.

Going back.

When creators see a concept reappear, they worry learners will disengage. When learners notice it, they think, “Didn’t we already do this?”

Good.

That moment of friction isn’t confusion; it’s retrieval. It’s the brain reconstructing meaning after a little forgetting. And research shows that this effortful recall is what actually strengthens memory and understanding over time.

In learning science, this is called spaced retrieval practice. In course design, we often call it looping.

And for incarcerated adult learners who are learning in high-stress environments, often carrying academic trauma and limited cognitive bandwidth, looping isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential.

Traditional education treats repetition as a sign of failure: you should already know this.
Intentional looping sends a different message: you’re building this.

You’ll walk away with:

• A fresh definition of looping that doesn’t feel like déjà vu
  
  

• The neuroscience behind why it works—especially in high-stress learning environments
  
  

• Practical ways to use looping across a full course without sounding repetitive
  
  

• A checklist to make sure your loops feel intentional, not accidental
  

The jargon you actually need to know

What we actually mean by “looping”

Let’s clear something up early.

Looping is not:

• Saying the same thing louder
  
  

• Repeating the same content word-for-word, over and over … and over

• Assuming learners didn’t get it the first time

Looping is a deliberate design choice grounded in how memory works.

When learners revisit an idea after some forgetting has occurred, they’re forced to retrieve it. That effort is what strengthens memory. Without it, learners may recognize content without ever being able to use it.

This distinction matters more than most creators realize.

Recognition feels good.
Retrieval builds learning.

In the science of learning, this is the difference between performance (how well something feels in the moment) and learning (what actually lasts).

Rereading is where these two often get confused.

When learners reread a passage or rewatch a video, the content feels smoother and more familiar. Confidence rises. It feels like learning. But research consistently shows that rereading mainly strengthens recognition, not recall. Learners get better at thinking, I’ve seen this before, without getting better at using the knowledge later.

Cognitive scientists have called this an illusion of learning. Fluent, easy experiences are persuasive, but they don’t produce durable memory. Carl Hendrick and others have been clear on this point: what builds learning isn’t ease, it’s desirable difficulty. The effort of retrieving an idea after a little forgetting.

Looping works because it replaces passive exposure with active retrieval, adding just enough friction to turn short-term performance into long-term understanding.

Not by drilling. By returning with purpose.

Why looping matters even more in corrections-based learning

Incarcerated adult learners aren’t just learning new content. They’re learning under conditions that make memory formation harder:

• Chronic stress
  
  

• Limited control over environment
  
  

• Interrupted educational histories
  
  

• Past experiences of academic failure or shame
  
  

Stress narrows working memory. When working memory is overloaded, new information evaporates quickly unless it’s revisited and retrieved.

Looping helps in two critical ways:

• First, it respects cognitive reality. Learners are given time, space, and multiple chances to make meaning—without being overwhelmed.

• Second, it supports emotional safety. When an idea returns, it doesn’t say you missed this. It says this matters enough to come back to.

That subtle difference changes how learners engage.

Let’s See This in Action

Think the first time you heard Lizzo’s name, it might’ve been in passing, just another rising artist. The second time, maybe you caught a lyric on the radio or heard someone quote her on Instagram. But the third time, when you saw her owning the stage in a viral performance?

You weren’t just aware of Lizzo. You felt it. 

You knew who she was. 

You remembered the song. 

You sang along.

And when you design for that, learners stop asking, “Didn’t we already do this?” and start saying, “Ohhh, now I get it.”

How to design loops that work (without sounding repetitive)

Good looping isn’t about repetition. It’s about recall.

Here’s how to do it well.

Change the angle, not the idea

Looping isn’t about repeating the same concept verbatim. It’s about approaching the same concept from a different perspective.

Each loop should answer a slightly different question:

• What is this?
  
  

• Why does it matter?
  
  

• How does it apply here?

For example, if you introduced emotional regulation with a breathing technique, loop it later through:

• A new scenario (someone pushing boundaries)
  
  

• A reflection prompt (when has this helped you?)
  
  

• A checklist (pause, breathe, respond)
  
  

Every time they see it, they connect another dot.

Space loops far enough apart

Timing matters.

If you return too soon, it feels redundant.

If you wait too long, it feels unfamiliar.

A practical rule of thumb:

• Revisit key ideas after 5–7 screens, or
  
  

• Loop them forward into the next lesson, activity, or quiz
  
  

That small gap allows forgetting to begin, which is exactly what makes retrieval effective.

Bonus: Loop again in the quiz or review section. That “Wait, I know this!” moment isn’t just satisfying. It builds confidence and gently rewires the shame that past academic experiences may have left behind.

Frame loops as progress, not correction

Language matters more than you think.

Avoid:

• “As we already covered…”
  
  

• “Remember this from earlier…”
  
  

• “You should know…”
  
  

Try instead:

• “You’ve seen this before, now let’s use it.”
  
  

• “Let’s bring this skill back into play.”
  
  

• “This idea shows up again here for a reason.”
  
  

The message shifts from catching mistakes to building mastery.

Don’t save looping for the quiz

If the first time learners are asked to retrieve an idea is at the quiz, the problem isn’t their memory, it’s the design.

Retrieval works best when it’s low-stakes, frequent, and spaced throughout the course. Waiting until the assessment turns recall into pressure, especially for learners with academic trauma, and reinforces the idea that quizzes exist to catch mistakes rather than build understanding.

Instead, loop key ideas before the quiz through:

• Short practice questions
  
  

• Scenarios or examples
  
  

• Reflection prompts or sentence starters

By the time learners reach the quiz, they shouldn’t feel ambushed. They should recognize the thinking required and feel oriented, not tested cold. The quiz becomes another retrieval opportunity, not the first one.

Looping design checklist 

TL;DR: Don’t rush past the friction

Looping isn’t about slowing learning down. It’s about giving learning enough resistance to stick.

• Forgetting is part of learning
  
  

• Struggle can be productive when it’s designed
  
  

• Looping builds memory, confidence, and dignity
  
  

• For incarcerated adult learners, it’s not optional—it’s essential