[00:00:19] Brittany: stop for a moment and think about your spouse, your fathers and mothers, your siblings, maybe even your children. Think about them and their jobs. If they needed to solve a complex problem right this moment would you expect them to have the formula or formulas memorized, or do you think they might have a reference sheet to look it up on or use Google for help?

[00:00:52] Ellie: Well, to be honest, sometimes I'd be like, you should know that. Why don't you know that? But realistically, I probably shouldn't or wouldn't expect them to have it memorized. They. They should be allowed to look it up.

[00:01:07] Brittany: Hey there, I'm Brittany and I'm here with my buddy Ellie.

[00:01:13] Ellie: Hello?

[00:01:14] Brittany: And in today's episode of the Teaching Toolbox podcast, we're diving into the world of formula cheat sheets. In a world where information is just a click away, are we doing students a disservice by banning cheat sheets or are we setting them up to fail when they don't have formulas, definitions, chemicals, and other important information memorized? When it comes to cheat sheets and reference pages, should they be allowed to use whatever they need to? What are the benefits and potential drawbacks, and how can they be used wisely across different subjects?

[00:02:01] Ellie: Those are all very, very important questions. So before we answer those, what would we consider cheat sheets to be? They could be math or science formula lists, grammar guides, vocabulary banks.

[00:02:18] Brittany: Yeah, I definitely see them more in math and science where formulas and stuff are much harder, but I think even hard vocabulary and social studies could qualify, grammar and all those complex terms like participles and gerunds and stuff could come into play, like I don't even know all those definitions. There are definitely a lot of ways we could apply reference guides to education.

[00:02:47] Ellie: Yeah, for sure. And there are definitely pros and cons to using cheat sheets or reference guides. So let's start with looking at the pros, because there are quite a few, especially when those cheat sheets are used intentionally. One significant benefit is reducing cognitive overload. According to cognitive load theory

[00:03:08] our working memory can only hold a limited number of pieces of information at one time. Cheat sheets can help offload low level recall tasks and allow students to focus on applying their knowledge. And they can help reduce anxiety, especially during tests. When students know they have access to formulas or rules, they might be more confident and that confidence can impact their performance.

[00:03:33] Brittany: Another big pro, encouraging metacognition. Students can create their own reference sheets, and when they do, they have to decide what's most important, how to organize it, how to effectively represent the information. That process in itself is studying in disguise.

[00:03:56] Ellie: Hmm. I love the idea of making their own, and that aligns with retrieval practice research. When students summarize and condense information, they build stronger memory traces then when they simply reread their notes.

[00:04:09] Brittany: Plus it mirrors the real world. Adults frequently use job aids, templates, help documents, and Google searches. Reference tools are essential for authentic problem solving.

[00:04:23] Ellie: Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Okay, so cognitive load, confidence, less anxiety, metacognition, and mirroring the real world are all great and definite benefits. Let's think a little bit about some of the cons, because cheat sheets, as some of us call them, aren't automatically helpful.

[00:04:43] Brittany: Right. One of the most significant drawbacks is when they're used as a substitute for learning rather than a support. If students don't understand the underlying concepts, a formula alone won't be enough to help.

[00:04:59] Ellie: Right, like I can't tell you how many times we had open note assessments. So basically all of the notes were a cheat sheet, and the formulas were there, the definitions were there, information was there, but a lot of times students did worse than if they had no notes at all or no cheat sheets at all. They didn't really prepare and get really familiar with their notes to know where the important information was located, and so they wasted a lot of time searching their notes.

[00:05:25] They also didn't take time to be sure they actually understood the concepts because they knew they would have their notes to refer to. So that often led to them just losing confidence and spending so much time trying to look things up and getting rattled and getting frustrated that sometimes they didn't even finish their assessment. And sometimes students get overwhelmed by poorly designed reference sheets or everything that's in the notes, like there's too much text, it's cluttered information, cluttered formatting, and they don't understand the information. So it can become a distraction rather than a support.

[00:05:59] Brittany: There's also the expertise reversal effect. For more advanced learners, reference sheets can actually slow them down because once students have mastered a concept, support should gradually fade away. Otherwise, it undermines their fluency.

[00:06:17] Ellie: Right. And finally teachers sometimes worry that if students always have a crutch, they'll never develop automaticity. There is value in committing some things to memory, like multiplication facts, standard grammar rules, or basic formulas. Like, yeah, you might not memorize every single formula, but there are some that you probably should know.

[00:06:39] And if I said to you, what's the formula for area of a rectangle, you probably would know that pretty quickly. That's not one of the ones that you're probably gonna have to look up online. It's not as complex.

[00:06:51] Brittany: Correct. Yes. You should know your multiplication facts and perimeter and area and stuff like that, but when we're talking like quadratic formula and polynomials and stuff, maybe that's a little different. Yeah, so the key is balance. Cheat sheets should scaffold learning, not replace it. And we have to understand that there's a common sense that comes with them.

[00:07:21] Ellie: Mm. Mm-hmm. For sure. All right, so let's get a little bit more practical. How can teachers use cheat sheets across different content areas without turning them into a crutch?

[00:07:34] Brittany: In math, formula charts are the obvious example, so area, more volume, slope, percent change, et cetera. But you can also include worked examples, visuals for integer rules, or steps for solving equation, just like your Math Wheels, Ellie.

[00:07:57] Ellie: mm-hmm. Yes. I like breaking things up into steps in the math wheels. And speaking of ELA, teachers might use quick reference guides for grammar rules, literary devices or sentence starters. Think evidence, phrases, transitions, or thesis checklist.

[00:08:14] Just like some of those in my ELA wheels 'cause we have a few of those too. And we'll link all of those resources in the show notes in case you're interested in checking out those types of references or cheat sheet.

[00:08:27] Brittany: Science is full of opportunities. Periodic tables, lab safety icons, key vocabulary diagrams, even structured outlines for writing lab notes.

[00:08:39] Ellie: Mm. And in social studies we've seen success with timeline cards, government structure diagrams, or cause effect graphic organizers. Even difficult time period vocabulary could be included.

[00:08:52] Brittany: You could even use cheat sheets for classroom routines. How to structure a paragraph, how to annotate a text, how to double check your work. These kind of references promote student independence.

[00:09:07] Ellie: Hmm. And that just reminds me, I have a free resource in the benefit of student self-checking, and it's related to how to check your math work. You know, when checking doesn't mean, just see if there's an answer, but actually checking things in there so I can find that and add that to the show notes as well.

[00:09:25] Brittany: Cool.

[00:09:26] Ellie: So one pro tip is for using the reference guides or the cheat sheets, is to start by not even mentioning that they exist. Teach the formula, the word, the table, the system first. Make sure students understand it, how it is used, why it is used, and when. Then introduce the guides by scaffolding their use.

[00:09:47] Start by giving students a complete reference sheet and then gradually remove pieces so they have to rely on their memory a little bit more, but only once they're ready.

[00:09:57] Brittany: Or better yet, have students create their own. Not only do they take more ownership, but research shows that student created references lead to higher retention than teacher provided one. Let students use an index card size a three by five inch card. Specificity is important on, and I'll explain why in a minute.

[00:10:22] In class on assessments, have them make it and put down things they think are important.

[00:10:28] Ellie: Mm-hmm. Okay, so we've got a list of 10 other tips, um, that you can consider using. In addition to what we've talked about, so first one is to use color coding intentionally. Encourage students to highlight formulas, key terms or steps in different colors, like red for rules and green for examples. This helps with visual retrieval and makes the sheet less overwhelming.

[00:10:54] Brittany: Limit the size. Use constraints like one side of one page or an index card only to force students to synthesize rather than copy and paste all their notes. This boosts cognitive engagement. But like I said, be specific because I just recently heard of a professor who said, you can use a three by five card.

[00:11:22] Ellie: Mm-hmm.

[00:11:23] Brittany: He never said three by five inch card. So a girl came into the final with a three foot by five foot index card.

[00:11:36] Ellie: That's great.

[00:11:37] Brittany: She made and had all the notes on for the test, and because the student said he never specified he had to let her use it on the test.

[00:11:48] Ellie: Gosh. I wonder how effective

[00:11:50] Brittany: thought it was ingenious, but

[00:11:52] Ellie: but that's a lot of notes too. I wonder how effective it was. Oh my

[00:11:56] Brittany: a little

[00:11:57] Ellie: is too funny.

[00:11:58] Brittany: be specific.

[00:12:02] Ellie: That's awesome. Um, a third tip is to incorporate visuals or diagrams. Encourage students to draw models, number lines, graphs, or flow charts to illustrate the concepts. Many students do recall visuals more easily than the text.

[00:12:17] Brittany: Pair with retrieval practice. Before using the cheat sheet have students quiz themselves or cover parts of it to see what they can remember. Then use it to check or fill in gaps. This is a good thing to do, give the kids like five minutes to pair and share before the assessment and have them do this quickly before the test.

[00:12:39] Ellie: Mm-hmm. That's a great idea. You can scaffold over time, so use a gradual release model. For example, in unit one, students could use a teacher created cheat sheet. In unit two, it could be a partially filled in sheet. Unit three could be student created. And then unit four, no sheet, but build one together for review purposes.

[00:13:04] Brittany: Nice. You can review and revise after the assessment. I love this one. After a quiz or test, have students reflect. Was there anything I should have added to my sheet? This builds metacognition and helps them refine future version.

[00:13:24] Ellie: Hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. You could create a classroom reference wall. Mirror the cheat sheet content on a bulletin board or an anchor chart. Even if it's not accessible during tests. It does reinforce concepts throughout the learning process, so it might be up there for the entire unit. You can cover it up or take it down for the assessment, but it's there for them throughout the unit.

[00:13:45] Brittany: And then use digital versions for blended learning. Let students create a digital cheat sheet in Google Docs or Canva. Hyperlinked reference guides are effective in a one-on-one classroom or for homework support.

[00:14:00] Ellie: And then it's really important to model how to use whatever cheat sheet or reference sheet they have. Don't assume that they understand how to use it effectively. It's kind of like students using the open notes for a quiz or test, if they don't know how to use it or anything, it's pointless.

[00:14:16] So show them how they can look things up quickly, apply them to a problem, or avoid over relying on those sheets.

[00:14:24] Brittany: Then tie it to mastery checks. Consider using the cheat sheet during formative assessments, but remove it for summative ones. So students feel supported during learning, but accountable during demonstrating mastery.

[00:14:41] Ellie: Mm-hmm. So do we think reference guides are a crutch or are they a bridge to deeper learning?

[00:14:48] Brittany: Honestly, they can be either. It all depends on how they're used. When they're aligned with cognitive science and thoughtfully scaffolded, they can become a powerful classroom tool. And in my opinion, since they mirror the real world enough they are completely valid and useful in the classroom.

[00:15:09] Ellie: Mm-hmm. And they can help reduce stress, model real world problem solving, as you said, and build independence when they're used well. However, like any tool, they do require boundaries and a clear purpose.

[00:15:21] Brittany: We'd love to know what this looks like in your classroom. Do you use reference guides, cheat sheets, or index cards? Do you let students make their own? Have they helped in your classroom or have they backfired?

[00:15:37] Ellie: Tag us on Instagram or Facebook or DM us your best cheat sheet strategy. And if you've got value from this episode, please share it with a colleague or leave us a quick rating on your podcast app. It helps other teachers find us. Thanks.

[00:15:50] Brittany: Bye.