1. Test Enhanced Learning
Mark A. McDaniel
Washington University

2. Acknowledgements Co-investigators Roddy Roediger Kathleen McDermott
Funding
Institute of Education Sciences
Grant #R305H030339
Seth Goodman was an undergrad RA who helped with some of the data collection / entry.

3. Testing effect in the Laboratory
Tests better than additional (study) presentation of material for final test performance
Retrieval appears to be a potent memory modifier, with increasing retrieval demands (short answer) enhancing later retention

4. Test-Enhanced Learning
Central idea: Taking a test enhances learning and leads to better retention over time
Critical distinction:
Testing for Assessment
vs.
Testing to enhance Learning

5. Kang, McDermott, & Roediger
Short answer
Multiple choice
Read answer
Control/filler
Within-Subjects,
after each article 8 items/condition
INTERVENING EXPERIENCE
Read 4 Current Directions articles
~15 min each
N=48
ENCODING
FINAL TEST
Mult. choice (16): 4 from each of the 4 prior conditions
Short answer (16): 4 from each of the 4 prior conditions
3 days

6. CRUCIALLY, TAKING AN INTERVENING SHORT ANSWER TEST BOOSTED FINAL PERFORMANCE MORE THAN JUST READING THE TEST ANSWERS
Error bars are 95% C.I. MC SA
Read statements
None 1
INITIAL TEST
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
Proportion Correct
0.5
.87
.94
.83
.69 .
0.4
0.3
0.2
.53
.57
.46
.27
0.1
FINAL MC
FINAL SA

7. Butler & Roediger Stimuli: Art history lectures (30 min.)
Three Learning Sessions
Participants watch a lecture then receive either a short MC quiz, SA quiz, or additional study of a lecture summary
Final Critical Test
Participants return to take a final short answer exam after a delay of one month

8. Final Short Answer Test
Proportion Correct
Initial Learning Condition
Butler & Roediger

9. Regardless of the form of the final test, initial attempts to retrieve the answer aided performance relative to the no-test condition (i.e., the testing effect).
An intervening SA test aided later performance more than did an intervening MC test. Crucially, the intervening SA condition outperformed the read statements (summary) condition. (Recall tests require more challenging retrieval processes than recognition tests)
Educational application: Better use of SA quizzes to enhance learning, instead of additional reading of target facts. If initial performance is low, optimal procedure may be to provide corrective feedback.

10. Results for Experiment 1
Error bars are 95% C.I.
Final MC
Final SA
Initial test MC SA
Read statements
Control (Filler)
.87
(.18)
.80
(.22)
.88
(.15)
.74
(.25)
.62
(.29)
.48
.51
(.26)
.33
(.27)

11. TESTING EFFECT IN THE CLASSROOM?
Variability in students’ studying
Variable intervals between study and quizzes
Variable intervals between quizzes and final criterial tests (with ad lib quizzing)
Instructors reluctant to re-present identical questions for quiz and final test

12. McDaniel, Anderson, & Morrisette
In WEB-based Brain and Behavior university course, each week students received 10 facts:
Read the facts to review
Multiple choice quiz on the facts
Short answer (fill in blank) quiz on the facts

13. Sample Facts
Set A:
1. The term for the plane that bisects the body into right and left halves comes from the Latin word “sagitta”.
2. The amygdala (Latin for "almond") consists of several subdivisions with diverse functions, including emotional regulation.
Set B:
1. The term for the plane that bisects the body into front and back halves comes from the Latin word “corona”.
2. The amygdala (Latin for "almond") consists of several subdivisions with diverse functions, including the perception of odor.

14. Multiple choice test on 10 facts
All preganglionic axons, whether sympathetic or parasympathetic, release _________ as a neurotransmitter.
*a. acetylcholine b. epinephrine c. norepinephrine d. adenosine

15. Short-Answer test on 10 facts
All preganglionic axons, whether sympathetic or parasympathetic, release _________ as a neurotransmitter.

16. Read 10 facts
All preganglionic axons, whether sympathetic or parasympathetic, release acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter.
*a. I have read the above statement.

17. Unit Tests Given after three topics (weeks) Multiple choice tests
Constructed so that question asked in a different way from that on quizzes:
Quizzed:
All preganglionic axons, whether sympathetic or parasympathetic, release _________ as a neurotransmitter.
Unit test: All ___________ axons, whether sympathetic or parasympathetic, release acetylcholine as a neurotransmitter.

18. (Brain and Behavior Class)
Unit Exam Performance
(Brain and Behavior Class)

19. Final Exam Given during the last week of the semester
Multiple choice tests
Constructed so that half the questions were asked in the same way as the quiz and half were asked in a different way from that on quizzes (same as the Unit)

20. Final Exam Performance (Brain and Behavior Class)

21. Conclusions
An initial short answer test aids later performance more than an initial multiple choice test (Tests requiring more effortful retrieval processes most effective)
In Classroom Situations, tests valuable for enhancing learning, whereas additional reading of target facts may produce little additional learning
If initial performance is low, then test enhanced learning may require feedback.