University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Previous studies analyzing the testing effect fail to do so in an educational context.  Roediger and Karpicke set out to discover this gap in the literature and prove whether or not testing promotes the learning process beyond restudying.  To analyze their hypothesis, the researchers conducted two separate experiments.  Their findings proved that, within educational contexts, testing is a crucial element on both the learning and long-term retention of educational materials than simply the re-studying of these materials.  The researchers suggest that the outcome of massed study leading to short-term benefit, while spaced studying or testing having a greater effect on long-term retention, may be a reflection of desirable difficulties.  Learning in spaced presentations facilitates deeper learning than massed presentations, over a given period of time. Within this study, the results suggest that the testing and the spacing effect introduced a desirable difficulty during learning for the subjects (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006, page 249).  

Test-Enhanced Learning

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-Enhanced Learning. ​Psychological Science, 17​(3), 249-255. (Page 1)

Test-Enhanced Learning (Roediger & Karpicke): Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention

Experiment 1 Results (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006)

The independent variable being manipulated was both the interval of time between the retention tests and the initial learning condition, and the testing strategy or studying that each student experienced. The dependent variable resulted as the amount of the passage that the student was able to recall (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006, p. 250).

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