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ERIC Number: EJ1481240
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Oct
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0098-6283
EISSN: EISSN-1532-8023
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Effects of Collaborative Practice Testing on Memory for Course Content in Introductory Psychology
Teaching of Psychology, v52 n4 p403-410 2025
Background: The benefit of collaborative testing to learning has been examined via two-stage exams (individual then group) for high-stakes tests. However, group testing might be particularly beneficial to students when implemented during the earlier stages of learning (i.e., "collaborative practice testing"). Objective: In a large Introductory Psychology course, we investigated whether low-stakes collaborative practice testing enhanced learning compared to individual practice testing. Methods: Students completed collaborative and individual practice tests followed by two delayed retention tests. Across sections of the course, some students also engaged in group-building exercises prior to practice testing. Results Collaborative practice testing improved performance on surprise individual retention tests administered approximately one and two weeks later (n = 569). The addition of group-building exercises did not affect the benefits of collaborative testing. Conclusion: The present research suggests that collaborative practice testing can enhance long-term retention of course material. Teaching Implications: This work provides a potential model for implementing collaborative practice testing in large undergraduate psychology classes and suggests that group-building exercises may not be necessary to produce durable learning from collaborative practice testing.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 2Learning Engineering Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA