Self-Test for Success

• In Event: 31.040 - Learning Strategies for Diverse Learners in the Health Sciences

Abstract

The objective of this presentation is to review literature on the benefits of self-testing and to discuss how this knowledge can be applied to improve health science students’ (particularly dental students) retention of information and success in lecture-based courses.

Research has shown that self-testing, an activity in which the student actively engages in creating questions and answers with the study text, enhances learning and retrieval of information (Hartwig & Dunlosky, 2011; Karpicke & Blunt 2011; Kierwa, 2010; King, 1992). The benefits of self-testing are compounded when students receive feedback to identify and fill gaps in their knowledge (King, 1992) and when learning is spaced out over time (Larsen, Butler, & Roediger, 2009; Roediger & Karpicke, 2006).

Roedigar and Butler (2011) found that when measuring students’ recall after reading a text, students remembered more when they were tested on it than when they were not; they remembered even more when they were given feedback on the test. Further, retrieval practice is particularly effective for critical thinking science questions (Karpicke & Blunt 2011), which advanced health science students are likely to encounter on exams. Unfortunately, studies of undergraduate students have found that few students use retrieval practices when studying and may be unaware of the benefits of self-testing on retaining knowledge (Karpicke, Butler & Roediger, 2009; Kornell & Bjork, 2007).

McAndrew and her colleagues (in press) extended this research to second year dental students, a group they hypothesized would be more likely to self-test, as they were experienced students. Similar to Karpicke, Butler, and Roediger’s 2009 findings on undergraduates, second-year dental students were more likely to repeatedly read their notes and textbooks. Re-reading has been found to be less effective than self-testing (Karpicke & Blunt, 2011). While more of the dental students did utilize self-testing when compared to undergraduates, repeated reading was still the most frequently cited study strategy.

It would be beneficial for health science graduate programs to make students aware of evidence-based research on study techniques to encourage them to make informed decisions on how best to use their study time. This could include presentations which explain the benefits of self-testing and encouraging students to create their own questions and share them through tools such as Quizlet. On the teaching side, instructors could include frequent quizzes followed by delayed feedback on the questions and answers.

Additionally, more research must be done on graduate health student learning, as the density of the curriculum and number of science classes students experience in graduate school is unlike the educational experience at the undergraduate level. Work in this area has implications for the education and training of our future healthcare providers.

Authors

• Maureen McAndrew, New York University

• Christina S. Morrow, New York University