Background: Practice tests have been shown to be an effective means to foster long-term retention in higher education, at least compared to restudying (i.e., the testing effect). Objective: The present study replicated and extended prior research by examining whether and to what extent the positive effects of testing on long-term retention in a…

Background: Retrieval practice promotes retention of learned information more than restudying the information. However, benefits of multiple-choice testing over restudying in real-world educational contexts and the role of practically relevant moderators such as feedback and learners' ability to retrieve tested content from memory (i.e.,…

Research on collaborative testing has shown that it decreases test anxiety, increases learning and critical thinking skills, and allows students to practice collaboration and teamwork. However, it has most often been used as a second test following traditional individual testing. This quasi-experimental study compared two models of collaborative…

Introduction: Instructors assign grades to communicate to students how well they are learning the course content. However, students and instructors are often displeased with the process and outcome of grading. Statement of the Problem: We contend that conventional grading inadvertently detracts from student learning and simultaneously replicates…

Background: Findings from the testing effect literature suggest several ways to achieve testing effects in an authentic classroom, but few consider instructor workload, equity, and resources that determine feasibility and sustainability of testing effect methods in practice. Objective: To determine elements and procedures from the testing effect…

Background: Many students use laptops in the classroom to take notes; however, even when laptops are used for the sole purpose of taking notes they can negatively impact academic performance. Objective: The current study examined state-dependent effects, and the potential for a match in note taking and quiz taking methods to improve quiz…

Introduction: Undergraduate research experiences prepare students for graduate training or employment. Statement of problem: At many teaching-intensive universities, there is a greater demand for research experiences than there are independent study opportunities. Students from typically underrepresented backgrounds may also be unaware of a…

Background: We have previously presented two educational interventions aimed to diminish causal illusions and promote critical thinking. In both cases, these interventions reduced causal illusions developed in response to active contingency learning tasks, in which participants were able to decide whether to introduce the potential cause in each…

When a psychologist announces a new research finding, it is often based on a rejected null hypothesis. However, if that hypothesis is true, the claim is a false alarm. Many students mistakenly believe that the probability of committing a false alarm equals alpha, the criterion for statistical significance, which is typically set at 5%. Instructors…

Test-enhanced learning is a technique instructors can use to increase recall on summative assessments (e.g., exams) via formative assessments (e.g., quizzes). The present research examined recommendations based on the transfer-appropriate processing and level-of-processing (LOP) perspectives to assess the question, does deeper processing on…

Recently, the testing effect has received a great deal of attention from researchers and educators who are intrigued by its potential to enhance student learning in the classroom. However, effective incorporation of testing (as a learning tool) merits a close examination of the conditions under which testing can enhance student learning in an…

Integral to most undergraduate psychology degree programs are research methods courses. Students learn about theory, study design and hypothesis testing, and gain knowledge that is assessed by laboratory reports. We describe a problem-based learning approach with an emphasis on acquisition of study design skills. Working in small groups, students…

The present study hypothesized that requiring use of an integrated learning system (ILS) would yield a learning benefit in a classroom situation. Two sections of an introductory psychology course taught by the same instructor and using the same text and exams differed with respect to whether online quizzing and concept mastery exercises in an ILS…

Although previous research has demonstrated that guided testing (i.e., self-testing) and question generation effectively increase retention compared to control methods, no work has simultaneously implemented both strategies in the classroom. In a semester-long study designed to maximize experimental control in a naturalistic setting, we adapted…

Research has shown that plagiarism is on the increase in higher education. Some state that this is due to poor knowledge rather than intentional cheating. Other researchers explain that plagiarism is on the rise due to increased competitiveness in college and easy access to work that has already been completed. In this study, we show how a 2-hr…