Why regular quizzes matter

Summary prepared by Walter Pearson

In a June 9, 2007 article, David Glenn published in the Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i40/40a01401.htm ) entitled "You Will be Tested on This", recent research points to the value of regular multiple choice quizzing ( in the evening and weekend context, after every session) to broaden students' understanding and recall of unfamiliar material.

The quizzing tools available in our online web support tools (WebCT and Moodle) make the creation and scoring of quizzes simple and enable the students to complete the quiz outside of classroom time. Many Simpson College faculty members are experimenting with the use of "clickers" which make the administration of in-class quizzes simple and fun (see http://casa.colorado.edu/~dduncan/DUNC%20bkfm%20i-x%20v1.pdf for an explanation of this learning response technology).

David Glenn's article suggests that regular quizzing is powerful learning tool - not just an assessment tool.

"A high-profile group of memory researchers at Washington University in St. Louis is working to rekindle interest in the "testing effect," as it is known. If teachers want to maximize their students' long-term learning, these scholars say, they should quiz them during every class session. And that emphatically includes college classes.

The purpose of this quizzing is not to motivate students to pay attention and to study more; if those things happen, the researchers say, they are nice side effects. The real point is that quizzing, if done correctly, is a uniquely powerful method for implanting facts in students' memory."

Related questions that are being explored include the format of the quizzing.

"Is it better to use short-answer quizzes or multiple choice? Is it crucial to give students immediate feedback on their quiz performance? Does quizzing improve students' long-term learning of related material?"

The short answer to these questions is that short answer quizzes may be best but might not be practical for large college classes. Rapid feedback is very important, pointing to the value of the online quiz tool. Quizzes have a positive impact on the learning of the materials in the course not directly the subject of the quiz.

'A lot of educators don't make the connection between their teaching tasks and their evaluation tasks."

The task of teaching and evaluating are seen by many as separate, but the research and good practice indicates that they are the same and should be seen as connected tasks.

Finally, does this just devolve into a case of teaching to the test so that learning is too narrow?

"Researchers still have a good deal to learn about that question, Ms. McDermott says, but they are starting to believe that frequent quizzing actually helps students absorb a broad range of material not directly included in the quizzes."

A final observation from one of the original researchers on this question:

"What I hear from teachers is, Quizzes would take time away from good learning activities," Mr. Roediger says. "But my point is, this is the best thing that you could be doing if you want them to learn. Give them a quiz, and give them feedback on that quiz."

Want to learn more about the use of on-line quizzes?
Chuck Johnson ( chuck.johnson@simpson.edu ) can help you get your WebCT or Moodle site going.

We have individual support for web course construction available through Jule Thorsen ( jule.thorsen@simpson.edu ).

Want to schedule the use of clickers in your classroom? Contact Kelley Bradder at kelley.bradder@simpson.edu

Comments? I'll compile your comments and post them here.
Jackie Brittingham - If regular quizzes are good for students then the "clicker technology" should go a long way toward making that easier for many of us in our classrooms.
Kevin West - This supports what I have always known, but we need to find a balance between 'testing to improve the students' recall' versus so much testing that the students resent the process or put less value on the quizzes..
Steve Rose - Thanks--confirms something I've believed and knew, from both practice and cognitive theory, to be true at the secondary level.


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Regular quizzing improves student learning Summary prepared by Walter Pearson In a June 9, 2007 article, David Glenn published in the Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i40/40a01401.htm ) entitled "You Will be Tested on This", recent research points to the value of regular multiple choice quizzing ( in the evening and weekend context, after every session) to broaden students' understanding and recall of unfamiliar material. The quizzing tools available in our online web support tools (WebCT and Moodle) make the creation and scoring of quizzes simple and enable the students to complete the quiz outside of classroom time. Many Simpson College faculty members are experimenting with the use of "clickers" which make the administration of in-class quizzes simple and fun (see http://casa.colorado.edu/~dduncan/DUNC%20bkfm%20i-x%20v1.pdf for an explanation of this learning response technology). David Glenn's article suggests that regular quizzing is powerful learning tool - not just an assessment tool. "A high-profile group of memory researchers at Washington University in St. Louis is working to rekindle interest in the "testing effect," as it is known. If teachers want to maximize their students' long-term learning, these scholars say, they should quiz them during every class session. And that emphatically includes college classes. The purpose of this quizzing is not to motivate students to pay attention and to study more; if those things happen, the researchers say, they are nice side effects. The real point is that quizzing, if done correctly, is a uniquely powerful method for implanting facts in students' memory." Related questions that are being explored include the format of the quizzing. "Is it better to use short-answer quizzes or multiple choice? Is it crucial to give students immediate feedback on their quiz performance? Does quizzing improve students' long-term learning of related material?" The short answer to these questions is that short answer quizzes may be best but might not be practical for large college classes. Rapid feedback is very important, pointing to the value of the online quiz tool. Quizzes have a positive impact on the learning of the materials in the course not directly the subject of the quiz. 'A lot of educators don't make the connection between their teaching tasks and their evaluation tasks." The task of teaching and evaluating are seen by many as separate, but the research and good practice indicates that they are the same and should be seen as connected tasks. Finally, does this just devolve into a case of teaching to the test so that learning is too narrow? "Researchers still have a good deal to learn about that question, Ms. McDermott says, but they are starting to believe that frequent quizzing actually helps students absorb a broad range of material not directly included in the quizzes." A final observation from one of the original researchers on this question: "What I hear from teachers is, Quizzes would take time away from good learning activities," Mr. Roediger says. "But my point is, this is the best thing that you could be doing if you want them to learn. Give them a quiz, and give them feedback on that quiz." Want to learn more about the use of on-line quizzes? Chuck Johnson ( chuck.johnson@simpson.edu ) can help you get your WebCT or Moodle site going. We have individual support for web course construction available through Jule Thorsen ( jule.thorsen@simpson.edu ). Want to schedule the use of clickers in your classroom? Contact Kelley Bradder at kelley.bradder@simpson.edu Comments? I'll compile your comments and post them here. Jackie Brittingham - If regular quizzes are good for students then the "clicker technology" should go a long way toward making that easier for many of us in our classrooms. Kevin West - This supports what I have always known, but we need to find a balance between 'testing to improve the students' recall' versus so much testing that the students resent the process or put less value on the quizzes.. Steve Rose - Thanks--confirms something I've believed and knew, from both practice and cognitive theory, to be true at the secondary level.
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