The Testing Effect in University Teaching: Using Multiple-Choice Testing to Promote Retention of Highly Retrievable Information

Background Retrieval practice promotes retention of learned information more than restudying the information. However, benefits multiple-choice testing over in real-world educational contexts and role practically relevant moderators such as feedback learners’ ability to retrieve tested content from memory (i.e., retrievability) are still underexplored. Objective The present research examines questions with an experimental design that maximizes internal validity, while investigating retrievability authentic setting a university psychology course. Method After course sessions, students answered or restudied afterward could choose revisit learning obtain self-regulated way. Results Participants on average obtained corrective for 9% practiced items when practicing content. In criterial test, retrieval was not superior reading summarizing statements general but effect emerged targeted participants easily memory. Conclusion Feedback rarely sought. even without feedback, profited retrievable Teaching Implications Caution is advised employing environments which required actively feedback.