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1.2 Testing as a part of learning cycle.
The learning cycle refers to the process of acquiring knowledge, practicing it, and testing one’s understanding. Testing is an important part of this cycle because it provides a way for students to evaluate their progress and identify areas where they need to improve.
Through testing, students receive feedback on their performance, which can be used to identify areas where they excel and areas where they struggle. For example, if a student consistently performs well on math tests but struggles with reading comprehension, they can focus their efforts on improving their reading skills.
Testing can also help reinforce learning by requiring students to retrieve and apply information they have learned. It has been shown to improve long-term retention of information compared to other study strategies such as re-reading or summarizing. When students retrieve information from memory, they are strengthening the connections between neurons in their brain, making it easier to recall the information in the future. By incorporating testing into the learning cycle, instructors can encourage students to engage in retrieval practice. When students are tested on what they have learned, they must retrieve information from memory and apply it to the test questions. This retrieval process strengthens their memory of the material and makes it more likely that they will retain the information in the long term.
Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of retrieval practice in improving learning outcomes. A meta-analysis of 160 studies found that retrieval practice was one of the most effective learning strategies across a range of materials and subject areas (Dunlosky et al., 2013). Another study found that students who engaged in retrieval practice scored higher on a final exam than students who did not (Roediger III & Karpicke, 2006).
Furthermore, testing can help instructors assess the effectiveness of their teaching methods and identify areas where they may need to make adjustments.
When instructors analyze student performance on tests, they are able to gain a deeper understanding of what concepts students are struggling with. For example, if the majority of students perform poorly on a specific question, the instructor can infer that either the question was poorly worded or that the students did not fully grasp the concept being tested. With this knowledge, the instructor can then adjust their teaching methods accordingly.
For example, if the question was poorly worded, the instructor may need to provide clearer instructions or rephrase the question. If the students did not fully grasp the concept being tested, the instructor may need to spend more time on that topic or use different teaching strategies to ensure that students fully understand the material.
By making these adjustments, instructors can improve their teaching methods and ensure that students are learning effectively. Additionally, analyzing test results can help instructors identify patterns of student misunderstanding or gaps in their own teaching knowledge, allowing them to make improvements and better support student learning.⁵
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, incorporating testing as a regular part of the learning cycle can also help to reduce test anxiety and promote a growth mindset among students. When students understand that testing is not solely about demonstrating what they don’t know but also about identifying areas for improvement and reinforcing what they have learned, they are more likely to approach testing with a positive attitude and view it as a valuable tool for learning and growth.