Proportion Correct on Initial Quizzes

Tests are usually thought to serve assessment purposes, but they can also benefit long-term learning better than repeated studying.1 Feedback provided after testing also enhances learning. Prior laboratory research has focused on the beneficial effects of feedback on retention of initially incorrect answers.2 However, recent research demonstrated the beneficial effects of feedback on retention of initially correct answers, particularly lowconfidence correct answers.3 Questions: Will middle school students retention of correct answers increase following feedback? Will middle school students metacognition benefit from feedback?

1.00 .80 .60 .40 .20

No Feedback Feedback

Incorrect on Initial Quizzes

Correct on Initial Quizzes

0.66 0.45 0.42

0.72

Proportion Correct on Unit Exam

0.76

0.81

1.00 .80 .60 .40 .20

ite ig Lo Lo iu G ue G ue in iu ig H D M M D

Feedback No Feedback
ite ef in m ss ss m ed h w w h

Pre-Tests 1.00
Mean Gamma Correlation

Post-Tests

Review Tests

ed

.80 .60 .40 .20

No Feedback Feedback

.522 .537 .354 .251 Pre-Tests Post-Tests

.549

.595

A test-enhanced learning program can be successfully implemented in a classroom setting. Completing three initial quizzes improved unit test performance and feedback further improved retention. Students resolution improved across the three initial quizzes.

Design Participants: N = 75 7th grade students (Mage = 12.8 years old, 39 males) from a public middle school in Illinois. Materials: 7th grade Science textbook material on bacteria, plants, and water. Within-subjects design:

Review Tests

Significant effects of testing and feedback were demonstrated after a 2-3 week delay. Feedback improved retention of initially incorrect and lowconfidence correct responses, replicating earlier work.3

Proportion Correct on Unit Exam

1/3 target facts quizzed followed by immediate feedback 1/3 of target facts quizzed, no feedback provided 1/3 of target facts not initially quizzed All items (39 total) were covered during the class lecture by the teacher. Procedure Classroom quizzes were presented: before the teachers lesson (pre-test) after the teachers lesson (post-test)

1.00 .90 .80 .70 .60 Not Tested 1.00

Proportion Correct on Unit Exam

0.94 0.80 0.83

Educational implications: When facilitating long-term learning, educators and students should be encouraged to use quizzes followed by feedback (for both correct and incorrect answers) as a method to enhance learning.
References 1. Roediger, H. L. & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17, 249-255. Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2005). When does feedback facilitate learning of words? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 31, 3-8. Butler, A. C., Karpicke, J. D., & Roediger, H. L. (2008). Correcting a metacognitive error: Feedback increases retention of low-confidence correct responses. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 34, 918-928. This research was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant R305H060080-06 to Washington University in St. Louis. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education. Poster presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society (Boston, MA, 11/19/09).

2.

No Feedback

Feedback
3.

the day before the unit exam (review test) After each initial multiple-choice quiz item, students: rated their confidence on a 5-point scale: guess, low, medium, high, definite received immediate feedback on 1/3 of items Retention was measured at the end of the unit (2-3 weeks later) with a multiple-choice exam comprised of all target items.

.90 .80 .70 .60

No Feedback Feedback

0.95 0.91 0.91

0.70

Incorrect on Initial Quizzes

Correct on Initial Quizzes

Correspondence: Pooja K. Agarwal (pooja.agarwal@wustl.edu)

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