The effect of type and timing of feedback on learning from multiple-choice tests

Abstract

Two experiments investigated how the type and timing of feedback influence learning from a multiplechoice test. First, participants read 12 prose passages, which covered various general knowledge topics (e.g., The Sun) and ranged between 280 and 300 words in length. Next, they took an initial six-alternative, multiple-choice test on information contained in the passages. Feedback was given immediately for some of the multiple-choice items or after delay for other items. Participants were either shown the correct answer as feedback (standard feedback) or were allowed to keep answering until the correct answer was discovered (answer-until-correct feedback). Learning from the test was assessed on a delayed cued-recall test. The results indicated that delayed feedback led to superior final test performance relative to immediate feedback. However, type of feedback did not matter: discovering the correct answer through answer-until-correct feedback produced equivalent performance relative to standard feedback. This research suggests that delaying the presentation of feedback after a test is beneficial to learning because of the spaced presentation of information.

Correcting a metacognitive error: Feedback increases retention of low-confidence correct responses.

“…Overall, the results obtained in these two experiments confirm several points uncovered in previous research. Many studies have found that taking a prior test improves performance on a future test (e.g., Carpenter & DeLosh, 2006;Roediger & Karpicke, 2006b;Wheeler & Roediger, 1992; for a review, see Roediger & Karpicke, 2006a) and that providing feedback after an initial test enhances subsequent test performance (e.g., Butler, Karpicke, & Roediger, 2007;Butler & Roediger, 2008;McDaniel & Fisher, 1991;Pashler et al, 2005). In addition, several studies have found that providing feedback after incorrect responses is critical to correcting errors (e.g., Lhyle & Kulhavy, 1987;see Bangert-Drowns et al, 1991), especially those errors committed with high confidence (Butterfield & Metcalfe, 2001.…”

Pharmacy Student Self-Testing as a Predictor of Examination Performance

“…16,21,22 An evaluation of first-year medical students validated this finding in a professional health program. 23 There may also be additional benefit to using multiplechoice self-testing questions when multiple-choice questions are the primary evaluation tool used by the course.…”

Teaching how to expect the unexpected: improving the retention of knowledge for rare clinical events

“…6 Finalement, en raison de l'anonymisation et du concept de l'étude, la rétroaction aux sujets de l'étude des résultats du test à choix de réponses a été quelque peu limitée; pourtant, la rétroaction améliore l'effet de test, et nous avons des données probantes qu'une rétroaction retardée est plus efficace qu'une rétroaction immédiate pour promouvoir la rétention d'informations à long terme. 7 La durée des sessions d'apprentissage est un autre facteur bien connu qui influence la rétention d'informations factuelles. Lorsqu'il s'agit de multiples sessions brèves, on parlera d'apprentissage distribué, alors que pour une longue session, le terme employé est apprentissage massé.…”

“…6 Finally, due to anonymization and the study design, feedback of the MCQ results to subjects was precluded to some extent; however, feedback enhances the testing effect, and there is some evidence that delayed feedback is more effective than immediate feedback on promoting long-term retention of information. 7 Another well established influence on the retention of factual information is the duration of the learning sessions. Multiple short sessions are referred to as distributed learning, whereas one lengthy session is referred to as massed learning.…”