1. The importance of testing for promoting learning
Professor Kathy Rastle
Royal Holloway, University of London
My name is Kathy Rastle and I am Professor and Head of Psychology at Royal Holloway University of London.
I am going to give a general introduction to psychological research on testing, and then finish with its application to literacy.

2. Testing is controversial
It is not very hard to find evidence these days that testing is controversial.
Many believe that testing reduces time for student learning and curriculum planning; that it forces teachers to “teach to the test”; and that it is traumatic for students. These beliefs are typified in the central picture – that testing is somehow separate from education.
Despite these beliefs, most people agree that testing has some role to play in the assessment of student learning, so accept some degree of testing as a “necessary evil”.

3. Testing as a mirror Improve memory Reduce interference
Reduce forgetting
Structure future learning
The common conceptualization of testing is that it is a kind of a mirror … that some learning has happened, and that tests faithfully reflect a person’s knowledge and skills.
However, the fundamental insight of memory research over the past ten years suggests that tests also change our knowledge. This research has shown that tests improve memory, reduce forgetting, improve inferencing and generalisation, and structure future learning. In fact, testing is now known to be one of the most powerful tools we have to improve learning for the long term.
Improve inferencing and generalisation

4. Tests improve memory and learning
Adults learned 40 English-Swahili pairs
Alternating study-test blocks
Remove study or test for items once successfully recalled
The key laboratory study demonstrating this phenomenon was conducted at Washington University nearly 10 years ago.
Adults were trained on 40 English-Swahili translation pairs in alternating blocks of study trials and test trials. In the training period, once a pair was successfully recalled, one of four things happened – it remained in the set of items to be learned, it was removed from study but not test blocks, it was removed from test but not study blocks, or it was removed from both blocks. On the day of training you can see that there was no difference in these conditions in the learning revealed by partcipants.
However, one week after training, results revealed a dramatic effect of condition on long-term retention. Specifically, when items had been removed from the test blocks following successful recall, long term retention plummeted. Whether or not the item was repeatedly studied did not matter.
This phenomenon has become known as “test enhanced learning”.
Karpicke & Roediger, 2008, Science

5. Characteristics of test-enhanced learning
Long-lasting (at least several months)
Works across age groups, formats, and ability levels
Works for pupils across age ranges using actual curriculum (history, science, biology, spelling)
Particularly powerful with feedback, and when tests require broad or deep thinking
Promotes learning of material presented after the test
Promotes generalisation
Over the past 10 years, this basic effect has been replicated widely across participant groups and across contexts in hundreds of studies.
Promotes learning of material presented after the test, perhaps by segregating old learning so that it doesn’t interfere with new learing.
Finally, testing promotes generalisation, a point especially critical when we consider literacy.

6. Testing promotes generalisation
Ultimate goal of learning is generalisation – not simple recall of facts but ability to use knowledge
Testing helps people to apply knowledge in new formats
Testing promotes embedding and application of rules
Testing assists classification of unfamiliar concepts
To be a bit more specific, the ultimate goal of learning in the classroom is not just the simple recall of facts, but the acquisition of deep knowledge that can be used in unfamiliar contexts. This is exactly what literacy instruction requires.
For example, we learn the /s/ sound not just so we can read the word “snake” but so that we can read any word with an S in it; and our knowledge of grammar and punctuation needs to be of a form that it can be used in any sentence that we may encounter or wish to produce.
There is very good evidence now tht testing promotes this type of deep learning, helping people to apply knowledge in new format, promoting the acquisition and applicaton of rules, and assisting classification of unfamiliar concepts.

7. Policy implications
Test often, in low-stakes formats, invoking deep knowledge or use of material, in a cumulative manner, with feedback
The key message of this substantial body of research is that testing is not separate to education. Instead, testing is one of the most powerful tools in our armory to drive deep, long-term learning.
This research shows that virtually any kind of test can be an effective aid to learning. However, testing can be used most effectively if it is employed often, in low-stakes formats, invoking deep knowledge or application, in a cumulative manner, revisiting old material regularly, and with feedback.

8. Thank you for listening!
Professor Kathy Rastle
Dept of Psychology
Royal Holloway University of London

9. Further reading
Karpicke, J.D. and Roediger, H.L., III (2008) The critical importance of retrieval for learning. Science 15, 966–968.
Roediger, H.L. III & Butler, A.C. (2011).  The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention.  Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15,
Carpenter, S.K. (2012).  Testing enhances the transfer of learning.  Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21,
Benjamin, A.S. & Pashler, H. (2015). The value of standardized testing: A perspective from cognitive psychology. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2,