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…

University examinations categorise students according to their individual achievements determined by teaching staff. This procedure serves the elicitation and certification of student knowledge and thus reproduces academic hierarchies. Drawing on empirical evidence from ethnographic fieldwork in Engineering and History departments, this article…

The benefits of practice testing for long-term learning are well established in many contexts. However, little is known about learner characteristics that might moderate its effectiveness. The effects of practice tests might depend on individual prerequisites for learning, especially in real-world educational settings. We explored whether the…

Considerable research has examined the prevalence and apparent consequences of task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) in both laboratory and authentic educational settings. Few studies, however, have explored methods to reduce TUTs during learning; those few studies tested small samples or used unvalidated TUT assessments. The present experimental study…

We compared the long-term effects of generating questions by learners with answering questions (i.e., testing) and restudying in the context of a university lecture. In contrast to previous studies, students were not prepared for the learning strategies, learning content was experimentally controlled, and effects on factual and transfer knowledge…

This study reflects on the development and implementation of mid-term oral examinations in large-scale lecture courses at a large, public research university; specifically, this work examines the implications of oral exams for fostering student engagement and concept-based comprehension in addition to institutional and course commitments to…

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether university students can adjust their study strategies to meet the cognitive demands of testing; a metacognitive self-regulatory skill. One hundred and fifty undergraduates attended three lectures as part of a course on the psychology of individual differences. These participants were then…

The standard lecture/discussion format and the Personalized System of Instruction format (PSI) are compared by analyzing student evaluations of two sections of a course in production and operations management. Results of a t test, used to identify significant differences, indicate that PSI received higher ratings on most measures. (Author/AEF)

A study contrasted the long-term (one year) retention of material acquired primarily through lectures and assigned independent study readings. Subjects were 16 female 3rd-year medical students. Results indicate the study methods did not differ consistently in knowledge loss or class performance, despite substantial individual differences.…

Remarkably few studies have examined the outcomes of sign language interpreting. Three experiments reported here examine deaf students' comprehension of interpreting in American Sign Language and English-based signing (transliteration) as a function of their sign language skills and preferences. In Experiments 1 and 2, groups of deaf students…

Examines how reading ability relates to course performance in an introductory developmental psychology course. Compares personalized system of instruction (PSI) to contingency managed lecture (CML) sections. Shows previous academic performance best predicted final examination scores for CML students while reading comprehension best predicted PSI…

A study was conducted to test and compare the effects of a group-paced, multimedia, non-lecture method and a traditional lecture method of instruction in General Biology, and to determine if the type of evaluation used influenced a student's chances of successfully completing the course. Subjects were 308 students enrolling in General Biology…

Student performance in two different introductory biochemistry curricula are compared based on standardized testing of student content knowledge, problem-solving skills, and student opinions about the courses. One curriculum was used in four traditional, lecture-based classes (n = 381 students), whereas the second curriculum was used in two…

Introduction: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated the effectiveness of and satisfaction with small-group problem-based learning (PBL) versus a didactic lecture approach to guideline dissemination in asthma management controlling for confounders common in comparative educational interventions. Methods: Sites were selected as either…

The effectiveness of the simulation-gaming method of instruction as opposed to the lecture-discussion method in teaching a college introductory economics course is examined. One hundred and twenty Ashland College freshmen were tested to determine their knowledge, interest, and training in economics; retention of knowledge seven weeks after the…