Generation and Retrieval Practice Effects in the Classroom Using PeerWise

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Kelley ◽  
Elizabeth K. Chapman-Orr ◽  
Susanna Calkins ◽  
Robert J. Lemke
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Practice Effects ◽  
College Classroom ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Online Tool ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Psychology Course

The present study explored the generation and retrieval practice effects within a college classroom using a free, online tool called PeerWise (PW). PW allows students to create their own multiple-choice questions, share them with peers, and answer the shared questions written by their peers. Forty students from two sections of an upper level cognitive psychology course authored and answered multiple-choice questions as part of a semester-long assignment. Analyses showed reliable generation and retrieval practice effects following PW usage, along with a significant improvement in exam performance.

scholarly journals In Their Own Best Interest: Data-Based Decisions in the Classroom

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Doris Davis
Keyword(s):  
Testing Effect ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Teachable Moment ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Classroom Studies ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
Do So ◽  
The Way

Regular quizzing that requires retrieval (e.g., fill-in-the-blank and open-ended questions) has been found to enhance the retention of information relative to quizzing that requires recognition (i.e., multiple-choice questions). This phenomenon, called the testing effect, has been demonstrated in a variety of laboratory and classroom studies. In past semesters, students in an upper-level psychology course who took fill-in-the blank quizzes performed significantly better on multiple-choice exams than students who took multiple-choice quizzes covering the same material. More recently, students have been provided with information about the testing effect, including data from earlier semesters of the same course, and allowed to individually choose their quiz format. While many students initially chose fill-in-the-blank quizzes, the majority switched to multiple-choice quizzes when allowed to do so one quarter of the way through the semester. Students in three sections of the course have exhibited this same pattern, despite evidence from their own sections that, on average, students taking fill-in quizzes earned higher grades on the first exam. The implications of this behavior, as well as its potential as a "teachable moment," will be considered.

Intended and Actual Changes in Study Behaviors in an Introductory and Upper-Level Psychology Course

2020 ◽  
pp. 009862832097989
Author(s):  
Shaina F. Rowell ◽  
Regina F. Frey ◽  
Elise M. Walck-Shannon
Keyword(s):  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Study Time ◽  
Study Behaviors ◽  
Exam Scores ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
Over Time

We examined self-directed studying of students in an introductory (Study 1) and upper-level (Study 2) psychology course. Students reported their study behaviors for Exam 1 and 2, and wrote Exam 2 study plans. In both studies, students planned to and ultimately did use more active strategies for Exam 2 than Exam 1. However, they struggled to follow through on plans to space studying over time. In Study 1, we also found that greater use of active strategies (e.g., retrieval practice) was associated with higher exam scores when controlling for factors such as study time. Our findings highlight that students across course levels are interested in changing their study behaviors and we note implications for instructors.

scholarly journals Open problem-based instruction impacts understanding of physiological concepts differently in undergraduate students

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon M. Franklin ◽  
Lin Xiang ◽  
Jason A. Collett ◽  
Megan K. Rhoads ◽  
Jeffrey L. Osborn
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Open Problem ◽  
Instructional Methods ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Short Answer ◽  
Upper Level ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
Multiple Choice Exam

Student populations are diverse such that different types of learners struggle with traditional didactic instruction. Problem-based learning has existed for several decades, but there is still controversy regarding the optimal mode of instruction to ensure success at all levels of students' past achievement. The present study addressed this problem by dividing students into the following three instructional groups for an upper-level course in animal physiology: traditional lecture-style instruction (LI), guided problem-based instruction (GPBI), and open problem-based instruction (OPBI). Student performance was measured by three summative assessments consisting of 50% multiple-choice questions and 50% short-answer questions as well as a final overall course assessment. The present study also examined how students of different academic achievement histories performed under each instructional method. When student achievement levels were not considered, the effects of instructional methods on student outcomes were modest; OPBI students performed moderately better on short-answer exam questions than both LI and GPBI groups. High-achieving students showed no difference in performance for any of the instructional methods on any metric examined. In students with low-achieving academic histories, OPBI students largely outperformed LI students on all metrics (short-answer exam: P < 0.05, d = 1.865; multiple-choice question exam: P < 0.05, d = 1.166; and final score: P < 0.05, d = 1.265). They also outperformed GPBI students on short-answer exam questions ( P < 0.05, d = 1.109) but not multiple-choice exam questions ( P = 0.071, d = 0.716) or final course outcome ( P = 0.328, d = 0.513). These findings strongly suggest that typically low-achieving students perform at a higher level under OPBI as long as the proper support systems (formative assessment and scaffolding) are provided to encourage student success.

scholarly journals Introducing multiple-choice questions to promote learning for medical students: effect on exam performance in obstetrics and gynecology

2020 ◽  
Vol 302 (6) ◽  
pp. 1401-1406
Author(s):  
Sebastian M. Jud ◽  
Susanne Cupisti ◽  
Wolfgang Frobenius ◽  
Andrea Winkler ◽  
Franziska Schultheis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Obstetrics And Gynecology ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions

A comparative study of methods for a priori prediction of MCQ difficulty

Semantic Web ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Ghader Kurdi ◽  
Jared Leo ◽  
Nicolas Matentzoglu ◽  
Bijan Parsia ◽  
Uli Sattler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
A Priori ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Performance Accuracy ◽  
Average Accuracy ◽  
Comparable Performance ◽  
Question Difficulty ◽  
Good Proxy ◽  
Case Based

Successful exams require a balance of easy, medium, and difficult questions. Question difficulty is generally either estimated by an expert or determined after an exam is taken. The latter provides no utility for the generation of new questions and the former is expensive both in terms of time and cost. Additionally, it is not known whether expert prediction is indeed a good proxy for estimating question difficulty. In this paper, we analyse and compare two ontology-based measures for difficulty prediction of multiple choice questions, as well as comparing each measure with expert prediction (by 15 experts) against the exam performance of 12 residents over a corpus of 231 medical case-based questions that are in multiple choice format. We find one ontology-based measure (relation strength indicativeness) to be of comparable performance (accuracy = 47%) to expert prediction (average accuracy = 49%).

scholarly journals Low-Stakes Quizzes Improve Learning and Reduce Overconfidence in College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin L Kenney ◽  
Heather Bailey
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Cognitive Psychology ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Psychology Course ◽  
Improve Student Learning

Retrieval practice is a straightforward and effective way to improve student learning, and its efficacy has been demonstrated repeatedly in the laboratory and in the classroom. In the current study, we implemented retrieval practice in the form of daily reviews in the classroom. Students (N = 47) in a cognitive psychology course completed a daily review at the beginning of each class. These consisted of 2-4 questions that encouraged students to practice retrieving material covered in lectures from the previous week. Then at the end of the semester, students took a comprehensive final exam consisting of content that was either on a daily review, a unit exam, both or neither. We replicated previous work such that retrieval practice improved memory. Specifically, we found that students performed significantly better on questions whose information had been covered on both a daily review and unit exam. However, student performance did not differ amongst items covered only on a daily review, a unit exam, or on neither. Additionally, we extended previous work and found that students were significantly less overconfident for information covered on both a daily review and unit exam. The current results indicate that retrieval practice helps college students remember material over the course of a semester and also improves their ability to evaluate their own knowledge of the material.

Multiple-Choice and Short-Answer Exam Performance in a College Classroom

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 273-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven C. Funk ◽  
K. Laurie Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Choice ◽  
College Classroom ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
Short Answer

Cognitive Exercise Boosts Exam Performance in an Introductory Psychology Course

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-139
Author(s):  
Holly A. White ◽  
Lauren E. Highfill
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Exercise Program ◽  
Introductory Psychology ◽  
College Classroom ◽  
Exam Performance ◽  
Note Taking ◽  
Lecture Material ◽  
Cognitive Exercise ◽  
Psychology Course

The present study piloted a cognitive exercise program in a college classroom to enhance learning of lecture material. Undergraduate students enrolled in introductory psychology ( N = 68) completed variations of letter–number cancelation tasks with spoken instructions in 5-min sessions prior to lecture during four nonconsecutive class periods. Results showed significantly better exam performance on material based on lectures that followed cognitive exercise compared to lectures on nonexercise days. On an anonymous program feedback survey, students reported significantly greater levels of alertness following cognitive exercise versus before; the majority of students rated their attention to lecture and note-taking ability as above average after cognitive workouts. Although preliminary, findings suggest that cognitive exercise in the classroom may positively impact learning for college students.

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