By Carolina Kuepper-Tetzel

There is plenty of research showing the benefits of spaced retrieval and active learning techniques on previously-taught material (1) (2). However, can these strategies also be used to boost self-assessment skills in students? Students with good self-assessment skills are better able to monitor their knowledge development by identifying their weaknesses and strengths allowing them to allocate study efforts more effectively. In addition, Taras (3) (4) highlights that student self-assessment is an important gateway to feedback engagement and processing. Thus, increasing students understanding and application of marking criteria and assessment rubrics are key components for their learning. A recent study by Metz et al. (5) investigated the effects of spaced retrieval practice and active learning on dental students’ comprehension and application of a grading rubric for self-assessment.

What did the study look like?

The researchers created four different conditions based on the combination between Active Engagement versus No Active Engagement and Spaced Retrieval Practice versus No Spaced Retrieval Practice. Thus, the groups were: 1) No Active Engagement and No Spaced Retrieval Practice, 2) No Active Engagement and Spaced Retrieval Practice, 3) Active Engagement and No Spaced Retrieval, and 4) Active Engagement and Spaced Retrieval Practice.

All students attended a 90-min presentation on content required for self-assessment. For students in the Spaced Retrieval Practice group this presentation was divided into two 45-min presentations separated by 2 weeks and each session was concluded with a quiz. Students in the No Spaced Retrieval Practice group completed the 90-min presentation in one session without quizzing.

Students in the Active Engagement groups were prompted to engage in group discussions and given practical, simulation activities. Whereas the No Active Engagement groups experienced the presentation only without further prompts for active learning.

Students’ self-assessment rubric knowledge was measured 2 weeks later using a multiple-choice test and after another 2 weeks students’ application knowledge of the self-assessment rubric to a new scenario (a simulated dentoform) was assessed. The full design of the study can be seen in the figure below.

What did they find?

For both measures, i.e., knowledge retention and knowledge application, this study revealed benefits of active engagement and spaced retrieval practice. More specifically, students showed a better understanding of the self-application rubric and were better able to apply it to new problems when the instruction involved either elements of active learning or spaced retrieval practice.

For knowledge retention measured via the multiple-choice quiz in week 4 there was a combined effect: They found that when active engagement was present, students benefitted less from spaced retrieval practice than when active engagement was not present. Put differently, while spaced retrieval practice added to increasing knowledge retention performance independent of whether active learning was in place or not, it added more in the scenario where no active learning was in place. See the figure below for the results.

For knowledge application of the self-assessment rubric, there was no combined effect of active learning and spaced retrieval practice. Here, both contributed independently to increasing application performance at week 6.

Concluding thoughts

This study shows that strategies from the science of learning, such as active learning and spaced retrieval practice, can improve self-assessment skills in students. This is exciting because it adds to the potential of these strategies for education and classroom teaching. Moreover, demonstrating these effects using authentic classroom material and problem-solving tasks further increases our confidence in them. Further studies should investigate the implementation of learning strategies to skill development in different educational domains.

References:

(1)   Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological bulletin, 132(3), 354.

(2)   Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.

(3)   Taras, M. (2010). Student self-assessment: Processes and consequences. Teaching in higher education, 15(2), 199-209.

(4)   Taras, M. (2013). Feedback on feedback. Reconceptualising Feedback in Higher Education: Developing Dialogue with Students. London: Routledge, 30-40.

(5)   Metz, M. J., Immekus, J. C., Lyle, K. B., & George, C. E. (2021). Effects of active engagement and spaced retrieval practice on knowledge and application of a self‐assessment rubric. Journal of Dental Education.