Effectiveness of Test-Enhanced Learning in Continuing Health Sciences Education: A Randomized Controlled Trial

McConnell, Meghan; Azzam, Khalid; Xenodemetropoulos, Ted; Panju, Akbar

doi:10.1002/chp.21293

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…In contrast to our findings, no such between-subject difference was found in a study where only a single test was given for learning activity of practicing physicians. 20 In comparison, our study used four tests as learning exercise in lectures. Previous studies have established the relation between number of tests taken and improvement in long-term retention of knowledge.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effectiveness of Test-Enhanced Learning (TEL) in lectures for undergraduate medical students

Ayyub¹,

Mahboob²

2017

Pak J Med Sci

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Objective:To determine the effectiveness of Test-Enhanced learning as a learning tool in lectures for undergraduate medical studentsMethod:This quantitative, randomized controlled trial included eighty-four students of 4th year MBBS from Yusra Medical & Dental College, Islamabad. The duration of study was from March 2016 to August 2016. After obtaining the informed consent; participants were equally assigned to interventional and non-interventional study groups through stratified randomization. Single best answer MCQs of special pathology were used as data collection instrument after validation. A pre- and post-test was taken from both groups, before and after the intervention, respectively and their results were compared using SPSS version 21.Results:There were 13 male (31%) and 29 female (69%) participants in each study group who showed an equivalent baseline performance on pre-test (p=0.95). Statistically significant difference was found among mean scores of interventional and non-interventional study groups at exit exam (p=0.00). Interventional group also showed a significant improvement in their post-test scores (mean: 17.17±1.59) as compared to pre-test scores (mean: 6.19±1.81).Conclusions:Test-enhanced learning has significant effect on improving the learning of course content delivered to undergraduate medical students through lectures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other strength of the study was absence of any attrition that has affected the measure of TEL effectiveness in previous studies. 13 , 16 , 20 - 22 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Test-Enhanced Learning (TEL) in lectures for undergraduate medical students

Ayyub¹,

Mahboob²

2017

Pak J Med Sci

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“…For example, McConnell et al found that physicians who completed a short answer test following a large group passive CME activity did not remember any more information on a test four weeks later than physicians who studied the same information. 12 In contrast, Larsen et al 13 found that within a CME context, physicians who received weekly short-answer quizzes performed better on a final test five and a half months later, relative to those who repeatedly studied the same information.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…One major difference between these two studies is the number of intervening tests provided to CME participants; Larsen et al 13 provided participants with four intervening quiz/study activities prior to the final test, while McConnell et al 12 only provided a single quiz/study activity. Research shows that increasing the number of intervening tests enhances TEL, provided the tests are separated by a long enough period (e.g., days, weeks) to require effortful memory retrieval.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does testing enhance learning in continuing medical education?

et al. 2018

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Background: There has been growing interest in using theory-driven research to develop and evaluate continuing medical education (CME) activities. Within health professions education, testing has been shown to promote learning in a variety of different contexts, an effect referred to as test-enhanced learning (TEL). However, the extent to which TEL generalizes to CME remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether physicians who received two intervening tests following a CME event would experience a TEL effect relative to physicians who received additional study material to review without testing. Methods: Forty-nine physicians were recruited during a local CME activity. Physicians were randomized to either a) the test group (n=26), where participants completed two 20 multiple-choice question (MCQ) quizzes related to the lecture content or b) the study group (n=23), where participants studied the same information without testing. Testing and studying occurred independently during the CME activity, and then four weeks later online. At eight weeks, participants completed a final 20-item MCQ online test. A between-subjects t-test was used to compare performance on the final test as a function of the initial educational activity (test group vs. study group).Results: Performance on the final MCQ test was equivalent for both test (Mean (SD): 75% (9.9)) and study-only (77% (7.3)) conditions (t(47) = 0.94, p=0.35). Conclusion: The null findings in the present study are contrary to previous findings demonstrating TEL among novice learner populations. The lack of TEL highlights several programmatic considerations that should be factored in before implementing TEL as a part of CME.

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“…Indeed, negative studies of retrieval practice have been published as well. 38,39 Principles have emerged from the psychology and education literature that can guide implementation of retrieval practice to increase the likelihood that long-term retention is achieved. Four of these are considered below: test format, repetition, spacing, and feedback (►Fig.…”

Section: How Is Retrieval Practice Best Implemented?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Planning Education for Long-Term Retention: The Cognitive Science and Implementation of Retrieval Practice

Larsen

2018

Semin Neurol

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Educational systems are rarely designed for long-term retention of information. Strong evidence has emerged from cognitive psychology and applied education studies that repeated retrieval of information significantly improves retention compared to repeated studying. This effect likely emerges from the processes of memory consolidation and reconsolidation. Consolidation and reconsolidation are the means by which memories are organized into associational networks or schemas that are created and recreated as memories are formed and recalled. As educators implement retrieval practice, they should consider how various test formats lead to different degrees of schema activation. Repeated acts of retrieval provide opportunities for schemas to be updated and strengthened. Spacing of retrieval allows more consolidated schemas to be reactivated. Feedback provides metacognitive monitoring to ensure retrieval accuracy and can lead to shifts from ineffective to effective retrieval strategies. By using the principles of retrieval practice, educators can improve the likelihood that learners will retain information for longer periods of time.

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Effectiveness of Test-Enhanced Learning in Continuing Health Sciences Education: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

Effectiveness of Test-Enhanced Learning (TEL) in lectures for undergraduate medical students

Effectiveness of Test-Enhanced Learning (TEL) in lectures for undergraduate medical students

Does testing enhance learning in continuing medical education?

Planning Education for Long-Term Retention: The Cognitive Science and Implementation of Retrieval Practice

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