Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Taking the Testing Effect Beyond the College Freshman: Benefits for Lifelong Learning

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I've been seeing research recently pointing to the utility of testing, such as this item (cited here). I don't see this so much as evidence in favour of testing per se but rather as an instance of the 'use-it or lose-it' phenomenon: tests are a way of using knowledge, and hence constitute a form of practice with that knowledge. Other kinds of practice - things as simple as using flash cards and as complex as applying mathematical formular to caclulate geode densities - will also produce this effect. That it is an effect, and that it persists even in later years, is significant. (Note that this journal article is a link that worked in my office; if it doesn't work at your home because of a subscription paywall, please accept my apologies and let me know).

Today: 4 Total: 16 [Direct link] [Share]

Image from the website


Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

Copyright 2024
Last Updated: Dec 22, 2024 07:24 a.m.

Canadian Flag Creative Commons License.

Force:yes