Forgetting may help improve memory and learning

(American Physiological Society) Forgetting names, skills or information learned in class is often thought of as purely negative. However unintuitive it may seem, research suggests that forgetting plays a positive role in learning: It can actually increase long-term retention, information retrieval and performance. The findings will be presented today at the American Physiological Society's (APS's) Institute on Teaching and Learning in Madison, Wis.