Chapter 1 - Benefits of Testing Memory Flashcards
What is the importance of testing?
- Retrieve information effortfully from memory
- Effortful retrieval is a powerful
mnemonic device
Assessments that are given right after learning a concept is defined as a ________
Test
Tests have both ________ and ________ benefits on learning
indirect and direct
The indirect benefit of testing is that…
….if tests are given more frequently,
students study more
The direct benefit of testing is that…
retrieval of information on tests greatly improves their later retention of the tested material
Weekly quizzes, midterm and a final exam vs just a midterm and final exam is an example of _______ benefits of testing
Indirect
Which study demonstrates the benefits of direct testing?
Wheeler and Roediger (1992)
What was the task and test for the experiment done by Wheeler and Roediger?
Task: While listening to a story they need to study 60 pictures
Test: Asked to recall as many of the items as possible
What were the testing conditions for each group in the experiment done by Wheeler and Roediger?
Group 1: 0 immediate test: leave & return 1 week later for the test
Group 2: 1 test that lasted 7-minutes
Group 3: 3 successive tests (1 min after 1st test, tested 2nd time and 3rd time).
What was the initial testing results for Wheeler and Roediger?
Group 1: no results
Group 2: 1 test - recalled 32 items
Group 3: 3 tests - recalled 32, 35 & 36 items
The improvement in recall over multiple test despite the fact that each test is further delayed from the original study is known as…
Hypermnesia
In the experiment done by Wheeler and Roediger, what were the results for the final test 1 week later?
Group 1: 0 tests – recalled 17 items
Group 2: 1 test – recalled 23 items
Group 3: 3 tests – recalled 32 items
What are the conclusions of the Wheeler and Roediger study?
-testing after learning impacted performance a week later
- Three earlier tests led to a recall improvement of over 80% compared to not taking any tests
What were the initial results from the experiment done by Roediger and Karpicke?
- Test-takers recalled 70% of ideas; restudiers naturally exposed to all ideas
- students who reread the passage received a greater exposure to the material than did students who took the test
What were the conclusions made from the experiment done by Roediger and Karpicke?
Study and study = short-term retention intervals
Study and Test = long-term retention intervals
What is the Testing Effect, and how does it impact learning?
The Testing Effect suggests that taking tests during the learning phase enhances later retrieval from long-term memory
What were the key findings in the experiment done by Kang, McDermott and Roediger regarding final performance three days later?
Final performance was best in the initial SA (short answer) condition, followed by the initial MC (multiple-choice) condition
What are the following formats feedback can be provided in?
- Re-presentation of the original material
- Correct vs incorrect
- Specific information about the correct response
What does explanatory feedback refer to?
providing students with the correct answer and an explanation
What does corrective feedback refer to?
only providing students with the correct answer
What is the impact of explanatory and corrective feedback on final retention according to the study done by
Explanatory feedback = increase final retention
Corrective feedback = lower final retention
What does immediate feedback refer to?
Feedback given just after each test item or immediately after a test
What does delayed feedback refer to?
Feedback given anywhere from 8 seconds after an item to 2 days after the test
