Learning by Self-Testing
CPD: Generative Learning (by Zoe & Mark Enser), topic 3.1.1
Why is Self-Testing Effective?
One of the most famous studies about the efficiency of self-testing was done by Roediger & Karpicke (2006).
Methods
- Students were divided into 3 groups.
- Group 1 studied the material four times before testing.
- Group 2 studied the materials three times and self-tested once during the learning process.
- Group 3 studied the original material just once, and used self-testing as a method for learning three more times before taking the final test.
Results
- The results showed much stronger performance from Group 3.
- This means that the group who had studied the material once and used retrieval as a learning strategy performed much better than the other two groups.
- This helped to provide further evidence for a phenomenon known as ‘the testing effect’,
Conclusion
- Self-testing and indeed low-stakes quizzing can have significant impact not only on the memory but also on the learning process itself.
Even more effective...
- When coupled with things such as distributed or spaced practice, testing and self-testing have the potential to further enhance the impact of learning.
- Encouraging self-testing over a period of time and returning to previously learned information can be a powerful tool in ensuring that knowledge is embedded into our students’ long-term memories.
Test yourself on Learning by Self-Testing
Select the correct statements about summarisation and self-testing.
Which group had the best performance in Roediger & Karpicke's study (2006)?
How can we deal with students' misconceptions while they self-test?