This study addresses critical gaps in English proficiency assessments, particularly for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students, by focusing on the foundational aspect of needs analysis in designing a platform to assist EFL students in preparation for real English proficiency tests. The existing tests, such as TOEFL and IELTS, often fail to…

We investigated the benefits of two ways to use flashcards to perform retrieval practice: alone versus with a partner. In three experiments, undergraduate students learned word-definition pairs using flashcards alone (Individual condition) or with another student (Paired condition). Participants then made global judgments of learning (gJOLs;…

Introduction: Understanding the mechanism through which test anxiety affects students' learning outcomes is critical to its management. Test preparation strategies are associated with test confidence and might also affect students' academic performance. However, previous studies have downplayed the role that students' test preparation strategies…

Evidence abounds that passive strategies such as rereading or highlighting are less effective than active strategies such as drawing models or explaining concepts to others. However, many studies have also reported that students tend to use learning strategies that they perceive as comfortable and easy, even when other strategies may be more…

E-tutorial learning aids as worked examples and hints have been established as effective instructional formats in problem-solving practices. However, less is known about variations in the use of learning aids across individuals at different stages in their learning process in student-centred learning contexts. This study investigates different…

Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning instructional strategy shown to improve student learning in large-enrollment courses. Although early implementations of TBL proved generally effective in an undergraduate exercise physiology course that delivered an online individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) before class, the instructor…

Feedback is a key factor in helping individuals to self-regulate their learning behavior. Informative feedback, as a very basic form of feedback informing learners about the correctness of their answers, can be framed in different ways emphasizing either what was correct or what must be improved. The regulatory focus theory describes different…

Digital learning environments provide opportunities to support learning in higher education. However, it is yet unclear why and how learners use these opportunities. We propose that learners' achievement goals and their beliefs regarding the instrumentality of e-learning tools to achieve those goals are predictive for learning behavior within…

The exit examination from upper-secondary school represents an essential part of the educational trajectory. However, the transition to the labour market or higher education can be complicated by failure. The qualitative study deals with repeatedly unsuccessful students who have struggled to pass the Czech exit exam called the Matura examination.…

This study was focused on adult English language learners (ELLs) that described their experiences with language acquisition in an elementary, middle, or high school in the United States. The problem addressed in this qualitative descriptive study was that public schools were unable to handle the academic inadequacies of ELLs as well as the…

Research on Portuguese language exams in the language assessment field remains scarce. To bridge this gap, this study examined washback from the large-scale, high-stakes Portuguese proficiency tests created by the Center of Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language ("Centro de Avaliação de Português Língua Estrangeira," or CAPLE as…

This study investigates students' perceptions of rehearsal (test preparation) and testing after the pandemic forced increased online teaching use and experimentation. Data was gathered from information and decision sciences (IDS) students in an underrepresented minority (URM) serving university. Responses from 136 participants were analyzed and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the potential impact of integrating the Smart Sender platform to gamify and automate L2 e-classes on students' motivation, English language proficiency in reading and language use, engagement, and attitudes towards the platform. This experimental research employed a quasi-experimental design, specifically a…

Retrieval practice is a learning strategy that has repeatedly been found to have positive effects on memory and learning. However, studies indicate that students rarely use retrieval practice on a voluntary basis. The objective of the present study was to examine students' self-regulated use of retrieval practice, and to determine whether sex and…

University classrooms are increasingly populated by students with diverse nationalities and native languages (L1). The growing number of students in English-led classrooms who speak English as a second or lower language (L2) may face added difficulties in understanding the specific task objectives or directions, as explained by native-…