Discussion in Postsecondary Classrooms: A Review of the Literature
Spoken language is, arguably, the primary means by which teachers teach and students learn. Much of the literature on language in classrooms has focused on disc...
Teaching & Learning
Why peer discussion improves student performance on in-class concept questions
When students answer an in-class conceptual question individually using clickers, discuss it with their neighbors, and then revote on the same question, the percentage of correct answers typically increases. This outcome could result from gains in understanding during discussion, or simply from peer …
Student Team Learning
Three Student Team Learning techniques have been extensively researched and found to significantly increase student learning. In Student Teams Achievement...
Cooperative Learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory
Cooperative learning is an example of how theory validated by research may be applied to instructional practice. The major theoretical base for...
Distributed versus Massed Training: Efficiency of Training Psychomotor Skills
Virtual reality simulators have shown to be valid and useful tools for training psychomotor skills for endoscopic surgery. Discussion arises how to integrate these simulators into the surgical training curriculum. Distributed training is referred to as short training periods, with rest periods in between. Massed training is training in continuous and longer training blocks. This study investigates the difference between distributed and massed training on the initial development and retention of psychomotor skills on a virtual reality simulator. Four groups of eight medical students lacking any experience in endoscopic training were created. Two groups trained in a distributed fashion, one group trained in a massed fashion and the last group not at all (control group). All performed a post-test immediately after finishing their training schedule. Two months after this test a second post- test was performed. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Post-Hoc test Tukey-Bonferoni was used to determine differences in mean scores between the four groups, whereas a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Distributed training resulted in higher scores and a better retention of relevant psychomotor skills. Distributed as well as massed training resulted in better scores and retention of skills than no training at all. Our study clearly shows that distributed training yields better results in psychomotor endoscopic skills. Therefore, in order to train as efficient as possible, training programs should be (re)-programmed accordingly.
A review of the characteristics of intermediate assessment and their relationship with student grades
In-course assessment, such as midterms, quizzes or presentations, is often an integral part of higher education courses. These so-called intermediate assessments influence students’ final grades. T...
The Effect of Testing Versus Restudy on Retention: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Testing Effect
PDF | Engaging in a test over previously studied information can serve as a potent learning event, a phenomenon referred to as the testing effect.... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate
Engaging in a test over previously studied information can serve as a potent learning event, a phenomenon referred to as the testing effect. Despite a surge of research in the past decade, existing theories have not yet provided a cohesive account of testing phenomena. The present study uses meta-analysis to examine the effects of testing versus restudy on retention. Key results indicate support for the role of effortful processing as a contributor to the testing effect, with initial recall tests yielding larger testing benefits than recognition tests. Limited support was found for existing theoretical accounts attributing the testing effect to enhanced semantic elaboration, indicating that consideration of alternative mechanisms is warranted in explaining testing effects. Future theoretical accounts of the testing effect may benefit from consideration of episodic and contextually derived contributions to retention resulting from memory retrieval. Additionally, the bifurcation model of the testing effect is considered as a viable framework from which to characterize the patterns of results present across the literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).