Practice with feedback—either correct-answer or explanatory—produces better memory than lecture, in both multiple-choice and open-ended formats¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr3·q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
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q3 i? In Study 1, both feedback conditions outperformed lecture on memory items by 17–18 percentage points (0.49 SD for explanatory feedback). → Michael W. Asher & Paulo F. Carvalho 2026
Evidence¶
Michael W. Asher & Paulo F. Carvalho 2026¶
Michael W. Asher & Paulo F. Carvalho. (2026). Conditions for Effective Learning Without Upfront Instruction: How Practice with Feedback Supports Memory, Generalization, Motivation, and Metacognition. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10103-6
q3 · i? · causal · r3
Study 1, a three-cell randomized online experiment (N = 297) comparing lecture, correct-response feedback, and explanatory feedback on multiple-choice practice. The preregistered regression showed a memory advantage of "17 percentage points (or 0.49 SD)" for explanatory feedback and 18 points for correct-response feedback over lecture; the two practice conditions did not differ (b =.01, p =.882).
"participants who received explanatory feedback outperformed those in the lecture condition on memory items by 17 percentage points (or 0.49 SD), t(291) = −3.39, p =.001. The advantage of correct-response feedback over lecture was similar: 18 percentage points, t(291) = 3.56, p <.001."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Correct-answer feedback alone was insufficient for generalization: significantly worse than lecture in Study 1, with the difference not significant in Study 2 — related
- Learners judge explanatory feedback as more effective preparation than correct-response feedback, in both studies — related
- Practice with feedback, regardless of feedback type, improves metacognitive calibration relative to lecture, reducing overconfidence by about 13 percentage points — related
- Taking a multiple-choice test produces a testing effect on later cued recall, but testing without study or feedback can be net harmful — related
- Feedback Enhances Retrieval Practice — related
- Students in active classrooms scored higher on tests of learning than students in passive lectures (0.46 SD higher, P < 0.001) — related
- Generalization from practice requires explanatory feedback and sufficient prior knowledge or confidence, with benefits concentrated among better-prepared learners — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
practice-feedback-memory-beats-lecture |
title |
Practice with feedback—either correct-answer or explanatory—produces better memory than lecture, in both multiple-choice and open-ended formats |
description |
Practice with feedback—either correct-answer or explanatory—produces better memory than lecture, in both multiple-choice and open-ended formats |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-19 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — michael-w-asher-paulo-f-carvalho-2026 |
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