Testing for Learning

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Both kinds of tests helped test takers remember the information they been tested on, but only the multiple-choice tests helped them recall information related to incorrect alternatives. These findings suggest that multiple-choice tests can be constructed in ways that exercise the very retrieval processes they have been accused of bypassing.

Little — Washington University in St. Louis — jerilittle gmail.

Evaluation / LD Testing

Testing Enhances the Transfer of Learning. Many studies have shown that having to retrieve information during a test helps you remember that information later on. Much less is known about the whether testing might also promote the application — or transfer — of learning.

1. Probability and Stochastic Modeling.
2. Frequent questions.
3. The Millionaire Falls Hard.

In this article, psychological scientist Shana Carpenter reviews recent studies that have begun to address this issue, especially as it relates to the benefits of testing on our ability to transfer information across multiple contexts, test formats, and knowledge domains. The few studies on this topic have, so far, reported robust benefits of testing on the transfer of learning.

Test-enhanced learning: Using retrieval practice to help students learn

Carpenter highlights the need for research that explores the potential of tests to promote not just the direct retention of information, but also the application of knowledge to new situations. Carpenter — Iowa State University — shacarp iastate. So conceptualizing tests as opportunities for learning — consistent with a mastery goal — can itself improve learning, even if the tests take more traditional forms than that of Nonacs's collaborative experiment. And that's not all: In a demonstration of a phenomenon known as the "testing effect," for example, Roedieger and Karpicke had students read passages of text and then either repeatedly study them or repeatedly test their ability to recall them, without any feedback on how well they did on the tests.

Evaluation / LD Testing | LD OnLine

The students who repeatedly studied the passage were more confident about their ability to remember the content than those who were repeatedly tested. But the latter group considerably outperformed the former when it came to actual memory for the passage one week later. So testing can be an excellent tool in an educator's toolbox, but it's one that needs to be used wisely. The American Psychological Association warns of the dangers of "high-stakes" testing in our nation's schools, and a report from the National Academies of Science suggests few benefits to our current test-based accountability system.

Part of the problem, I contend, is a narrow focus on testing for assessment. Let's start thinking about testing for learning.

You can keep up with more of what Tania Lombrozo is thinking on Twitter: Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player. Testing For Learning, Not Assessment: Cosmos And Culture It's the end of the academic year and students everywhere are taking tests.

The school will issue regular progress reports and review the IEP annually, with testing every three years. Patient Resources Patient Story Two life-threatening conditions. Notes Blog Read clinical updates and the latest insights from Boston Children's specialists. Flu Season is Here Talk to your healthcare provider about getting your child immunized today. Contact the Learning Disabilities Program How is a learning disability diagnosed?