Testing and quizzes

10
 m

Assess and give feedback to learners

Appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the subject area in the subject area and at the level of the academic programme

What can I do?

Impact
5
Quality
4
  • Give students regular practice quizzes that ask them to retrieve information, not just reread it
  • Use short-answer quizzes more than multiple-choice—they boost learning more
  • Include feedback on quizzes to help students learn from their mistakes

What is this about?

Practice testing is when students are asked to recall what they've learned, like through quizzes, without the pressure of grades. It’s not just about seeing what they remember—it actually helps them learn better. This method can be used in classrooms or online, with low-stakes quizzes or informal recall tasks. The idea is that the act of retrieving info strengthens memory and understanding. It’s a shift from using tests to assess learning to using them to create learning.

What's the evidence say?

Practice testing improves learning much more than just rereading or doing unrelated activities ➕➕➕➕➕ (Adesope et al.,2017). It helps across age groups, content areas, and settings. The effect is stronger when:

  • Feedback is provided ➕➕➕➕
  • The practice and final test formats match ➕➕➕➕
  • The practice test format is cognitively demanding (e.g., short-answer) ➕➕➕
  • Quizzes are frequent and part of class routines (Sotola & Credé, 2020)➕➕➕
  • They're used in psychology classrooms (Schwieren et al., 2017) ➕➕➕➕

Frequent quizzes also predict exam performance and increase pass rates (Sotola & Credé, 2020). Mastery learning programs that include repeated testing and feedback show positive effects, especially for lower-achieving students (Kuliket al., 1990) ➕➕➕➕.

What's the underlying theory?

The main idea is that retrieving information helps strengthen memory more than just studying it again. This is known as the testing effect. It works because it helps students build more links to the information in their brain, making it easier to find later. Feedback improves this even more by helping correct mistakes. Theories like elaborative retrieval and transfer-appropriate processing explain why recalling information and matching practice to real test formats leads to deeper learning.

Where does the evidence come from?

This summary is based on four meta-analyses. The best quality one (Adesope et al., 2017) included 272 effect sizes and examined both lab and classroom studies. It reported detailed stats and handled publication bias well. Sotola & Credé (2020) focused only on real classroom settings and found consistent, moderate effects. Schwieren et al. (2017) zoomed in on psychology classes, finding strong support for testing effects. Kulik et al. (1990) took a broader look at mastery learning, also showing benefits, though from an older evidence base.

References

Adesope, O. O., Trevisan, D. A., & Sundararajan, N. (2017). Rethinking the use of tests: A meta-analysis of practice testing. Review ofEducational Research, 87(3), 659–701. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316689306

Kulik, C. L. C., Kulik, J. A., & Bangert-Drowns, R. L. (1990). Effectiveness of mastery learning programs: A meta-analysis. Review ofEducational Research, 60(2), 265–299. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543060002265

Schwieren, J., Barenberg, J., & Dutke, S. (2017). The testing effect in the psychology classroom: A meta-analytic perspective. PsychologyLearning & Teaching, 16(2), 179–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725717695149

Sotola, L. K., & Credé, M. (2021). Regarding class quizzes: A meta-analytic synthesis of studies on the relationship between frequent low-stakes testing and class performance. Educational Psychology Review, 33(2),407–426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-020-09563-9

Additional Resources