Can Frequent Testing Help Students Learn Better?

  Unfortunately, when any one starts talking about testing, we immediately think of the once a year, multiple choice, computer based tests organized by the state government or unit end tests but that is not the type of testing I refer to in this blog entry.

As research indicates testing, when done properly, does help learning.  The key is a well designed test paired with equally well designed activities before and after the actual test because these items can help students recall information better, develop a deeper and more complex learning compared to no tests.  However, it does not look like the standardized tests both teachers and students dread.

The best testing is designed to create a situation where students practice retrieving the information.  Retrieval practice is not used to assess, it is used to create a learning atmosphere so students learn during the testing situation.  These situations are used to force the brain to recall information from the brain.  Every time this happens, new memories are changed and  made stronger, more accessible, and easier to access.

The brain cannot possibly remember everything it is exposed to daily so the brain is selective only remembering the information that has been demonstrated to be important and needed for the future. So when we retrieve the information in a testing situation, we tell the brain, this information is important enough to be accessible again.

Research indicates that recalling information is actually more effective then restudying the material.  The more active certain parts of the brain are, the more likely the brain will be able to recall the information.  In addition to helping students the material they are studying, it also helps them remember information not directly being tested.

Furthermore, retrieval practice helps the brain separate the material currently being learned from prior knowledge and prepares the brain to absorb more material after testing.  Thus we need to incorporate methods to help students practice retrieval so they learn better.

First are flash cards or something similar used by the students to quiz themselves.  The key here is quiz themselves rather than just studying the material.  A study found that students who quizzed themselves on vocabulary remembered 80 percent of the material while students who only read the words repeatedly, remembered about 30 percent.  This is where those flash card apps come in handy.  The other thing about flash cards is they say a student must get the concept right three times for the information to be remembered. 

Another methods is to make it into a game such as Kahoot or Jeopardy.  Kahoot if you have not used it allows you to choose a premade game or create your own.  My students love it because they can play individually, get immediate feedback, and call out wrong answers in the hope they will cause others to make the wrong choice.  I add a commentary of who is on the scoreboard and who goes up or down on the board. 

As far as Jeopardy, I have students work in groups because the game is only set up for a few players.  The students in the group, all have to work the answer and come up with an answer written on a white board I look at but everyone shares at the end.  Every group who gets the correct answer gets the points, not just the first ones done.  If I don't give points to all the groups, the ones who struggle give up because one group gets all the points.  If they get points too, they are willing to keep trying.

Its also easy to sneak in a few quick quiz problems in the warm-up/ bell ringer or as an exit ticket so students can practice.  I usually have a qr code by the door so students can check their answers at the end for immediate feedback.

Be sure to share with students that the standard practice of rereading and highlighting information has proven to be the least effective form of retrieval practice. 

Let me know what you think.  I'd love to hear. 

Testing

  My state is currently rewriting standards and the state test to change the way they look at things.  Rather than focusing on standards, they are looking at achievement levels.

I know someone on the committee for math and he's shard a bit of information which makes me a bit concerned.

According to him, one change is looking at multiplication using the standard algorithm.  He said the standard algorithm is for the two numbers lined up, one directly above the other but many teachers are choosing to teach the lattice method because students catch on to that faster.

The long term sub in the 5th grade commented how so many of her students struggled with the two digit by two digit multiplication.  I offered to come in to teach the lattice method.  After 20 minutes, her students had the basics.  The more advanced ones were off doing two digit by three digit or even three digit by three digit but they all got it.

I suggested to a friend that since lattice is being taught more and more it could be considered a standard algorithm especially as most tests have students provide the answer but do not have to include the work.  The test doesn't know which method is used, only if the answer if right or wrong.

I show several different ways to multiply binomials and lattice is one of the methods I use because many of my students already know it so its a short hop, skip, and jump to using it in algebra.  They always get it set up properly but mess up because they do not watch for signs.

So if tests only want the answer, why even throw phrases like standard algorithms into the standards.  Why not just use acceptable algorithm instead since in reality there are so many different ways to multiply numbers together.  It seems that even state standards are still being caught up with processes rather than real understanding of the material.

I would argue our testing should move towards being able to explain the steps of the algorithms in addition to using the algorithms to test understanding rather than just the mechanics. Most tests have moved away from hard copy to computer based so we should be able to design tests which allows us to check their understanding of why certain steps are used.

 There are times I feel like we are wagging the tail of the dog rather than letting the dog wag its own tail.  I'd love to hear what your thoughts on this topic.  Have a great day.