The forward testing effect, also called test potentiated new learning, is the finding that testing a learner on information already studied can improve how well they learn new information that follows. This differs from the more familiar benefit of testing on later recall of the same material that was tested, since the forward testing effect proposes that the act of being tested carries its own separate benefit for learning whatever comes next, distinct from the practice effect produced by simple repetition and restudy. The earliest documented study of the effect was conducted by Tulving and Watkins in 1974, and the finding suggests that encouraging students to study using testing techniques, rather than only restudying material repeatedly, can aid learning of subsequent material.
Facts
Core ClaimThe forward testing effect, also known as test potentiated new learning, is a psychological learning theory which suggests that testing old information can improve learning of new information. 1 FAQs
Why does testing earlier material help students learn new material?
Two kinds of explanation exist: testing may reduce interference between sets of material at recall, or it may improve how the new material is encoded.
Researchers have proposed two families of explanation. Retrieval explanations hold that recall testing between the study of different sets of material helps the mind keep them apart, so that when the learner is later tested the memory search is more focused and less disturbed by interference from the earlier material. Encoding explanations hold that testing the earlier material improves how the later material is taken in, either by resetting the encoding process so that later material is encoded as effectively as earlier material, or by prompting the learner to switch to a more elaborative encoding strategy. Brain recordings of alpha frequency oscillations have been cited in support of the reset view. The explanations were developed in laboratory list-learning studies, and a 2014 review noted that they may not carry over unchanged to classrooms.
Has the forward testing effect been shown with real course material?
A 2013 lab study using a statistics video lecture found a benefit for students who were tested on earlier segments.
A 2014 review by Pastötter and Bäuml described only one early step in that direction, a 2013 laboratory study by Szpunar and colleagues. Students studied an online video lecture from an introductory statistics course, divided into four segments. Those who were tested on the earlier segments answered more questions correctly on the last segment and made fewer source confusions than those who restudied or did a distractor task. Testing also helped students stay attentive through the lecture, with more note taking and less mind wandering, and it reduced test anxiety and felt mental effort. The reviewers still wrote that showing the effect in real educational settings remained work for the future.
Sources
1. Forward testing effect (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead paragraph, first sentence
The forward testing effect, also known as test potentiated new learning, is a psychological learning theory which suggests that testing old information can improve learning of new information.
Empirical evidence, Word recall section
The earliest documented study to observe the forward testing effect was conducted in 1974 by Tulving and Watkins.
Lead paragraph
The forward testing effect, also known as test potentiated new learning, is a psychological learning theory which suggests that testing old information can improve learning of new information.
In Group: Spacing and Retrieval Practice Strategies, Lead
The forward testing effect, also known as test potentiated new learning, is a psychological learning theory which suggests that testing old information can improve learning of new information.
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