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The testing effect: The role of feedback and collaboration in a tertiary classroom setting
Author(s) -
Vojdanoska Marija,
Cranney Jacquelyn,
Newell Ben R.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.1630
Subject(s) - formative assessment , psychology , set (abstract data type) , test (biology) , group testing , higher education , cognitive psychology , social psychology , mathematics education , computer science , paleontology , mathematics , combinatorics , political science , law , biology , programming language
Successful retrieval on a test compared to just re‐studying material improves long‐term retention—a phenomenon called the ‘testing effect’. This study investigated the role of feedback and collaborative testing on the retention of course material in a tertiary educational setting. Tested material was better retained relative to non‐tested material (testing effect), and feedback facilitated correction of errors. Group testing produced higher performance on the initial, but not final test performance, compared to individual testing. This set of findings suggests that to encourage long‐term retention, educators should utilise individual formative testing with feedback; theoretical implications are also discussed. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.