Initial retrieval conditions that provide less cue support, such as free recall rather than recognition or fewer letter cues, tend to produce better retention despite lower initial success¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (4 entries) · review r3 · q2
Currency · newest study 2017 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The chapter reports, citing Carpenter and DeLosh (2006, Experiment 1), that initial free recall enhanced retention more than initial recognition even though subjects recognized 89% and freely recalled 69% of words initially. → Karpicke 2017 q2 i? The chapter reports that in Carpenter and DeLosh (2006, Experiments 2 and 3), providing fewer letter cues during initial retrieval enhanced final free recall. → Karpicke 2017 (2) q2 i? The chapter reports, citing Finley et al. (2011), that a diminishing cues condition outperformed study-only and accumulating cue conditions on final cued recall without feedback. → Karpicke 2017 (3) q2 i? The chapter reports, citing Carpenter (2009), that retrieval practice effects on final cued recall were larger for weakly than for strongly associated word pairs. → Karpicke 2017 (4)

Evidence¶

Karpicke 2017¶

Karpicke, J. D. (2017). Retrieval-Based Learning: A Decade of Progress. Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, 2nd edition, Volume 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.21055-9

q2 · i? · review · r3

The chapter reports Carpenter and DeLosh (2006, Experiment 1), with eight-item lists and no feedback: "whereas subjects correctly recognized 89% of the words, they freely recalled 69% of them", yet free recall enhanced retention more.

"For instance, whereas subjects correctly recognized 89% of the words, they freely recalled 69% of them, yet initial free recall consistently enhanced retention more than initial recognition did."

Karpicke 2017 (2)¶

Karpicke, J. D. (2017). Retrieval-Based Learning: A Decade of Progress. Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, 2nd edition, Volume 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.21055-9

q2 · i? · review · r3

The chapter reports experiments varying how many letters of five-letter words were cued: "Providing fewer letter cues during initial retrieval practice enhanced performance on a final free recall test".

"directly manipulating the amount of support provided during initial retrieval. Providing fewer letter cues during initial retrieval practice enhanced performance on a final free recall test."

Karpicke 2017 (3)¶

Karpicke, J. D. (2017). Retrieval-Based Learning: A Decade of Progress. Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, 2nd edition, Volume 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.21055-9

q2 · i? · review · r3

The chapter reports Finley et al. (2011), with foreign language word pairs: "the diminishing cues condition consistently outperformed the study-only condition and the accumulating cue condition".

"On a final cued recall test (e.g., dust–?), the diminishing cues condition consistently outperformed the study-only condition and the accumulating cue condition, which was no better than the study- only condition under conditions where subjects did not receive feedback."

Karpicke 2017 (4)¶

Karpicke, J. D. (2017). Retrieval-Based Learning: A Decade of Progress. Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, 2nd edition, Volume 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.21055-9

q2 · i? · review · r3

The chapter reports Carpenter (2009), in which weak associates were assumed to offer less support: "retrieval practice effects were larger with weak associates than they were with strong associates".

"On a final cued recall test, retrieval practice effects were larger with weak associates than they were with strong associates."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Long-Term Memory — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Existing theoretical accounts attributing the testing effect to enhanced semantic elaboration receive limited support — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• The classroom testing effect transfers to mismatched test formats, but consistent quiz–exam formats yield a significantly larger effect (g = 0.531 vs. g = 0.399). — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• Retrieval Failure Reduces Benefit — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it

• Whether prompting students to construct explanations during retrieval adds benefit beyond initial free recall is mixed across studies — related
• Having more multiple-choice alternatives benefits later retention when initial retrieval success is high but hurts learning when it is low — reports the opposite
• Whether initial retrieval practice enhances semantic organization in final free recall is unclear, with results that may depend on how retrieval practice is implemented — related
• Initial short-answer tests outperform initial multiple-choice tests mainly when feedback follows them; without feedback, the higher initial success of multiple-choice tests can favor multiple-choice — reports the opposite
• Generation Effect Improves Retention — related
• Spaced retrieval practice produces better final retention than massed retrieval even though spacing lowers initial retrieval success, and more absolute spacing enhances long-term retention — related
• A review reports that retrieval practice effects grow more robust as initial retrieval success rises, especially above 75%, and separately that giving more retrieval cues yields smaller effects — reports the opposite
• Retrieval practice effects on mediator-cued final tests have been positive, but Coppens et al. (2016) concluded the true effect may be only about 0.10 to 0.20 — related
• The benefits of retrieval practice do not depend on an exact match between initial retrieval practice conditions and the final test format — related
• A review chapter (Karpicke 2017) reports, second-hand, experiments in which retrieval practice produced more learning than concept mapping (Karpicke & Blunt 2011) and than imagery strategies such as the keyword mnemonic (Karpicke & Smith 2012) — related
• Strong acquisition tasks explicating the organization produce better internalization than weak tasks asking only for a structured summary — related
• Scientists have imposed their values of precision, objectivity, and control on language, including attempts to build machines that use and create language as humans do — related
• Multiple choice practice items produce significantly higher performance during retrieval practice than short answer items, with applied short answer the most difficult condition — related
• Recognition tests yield higher word-learning effect sizes than recall tests — related
• Practice retrieval performance did not differ significantly between the three retrieval strategy conditions — related
• Inducing learners to recollect the prior study episode during retrieval practice enhances retention even when reexposure and initial success are held constant — related
• Subtle indirect cueing feedback tends to have higher impacts on learning outcomes than other forms of feedback, per research the review cites — related
• Structured CAI with spaced practice and spaced review produced better recall and retention than unstructured CAI — related
• Retrieval-based learning research emphasizes both direct and indirect effects of retrieval on learning — related