Five-phase retrieval practice session crossing question format and level of thinking

Design · All designs
Evidence · 3 claims (3 mixed) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description

The study's session design: read a passage, do a distractor task, answer mixed-format retrieval questions, do a second distractor, then take a final test. The article states the procedure "involved five phases: study phase, first distractor task, retrieval practice phase, second distractor task and final test phase", with 10 MCQs and 10 short-answer questions, each split into five lower-order and five higher-order items.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• A reading passage (980 words on Problem Solving) read for 15 minutes.
• A 1-minute word search puzzle as distractor, whose function the article states is to clear working memory and prevent mental rehearsal.
• Retrieval practice of 10 MCQs and 10 short-answer questions answered within 15 minutes, each set containing five lower-order and five higher-order items.
• A short-answer grading rubric: one point for a fully correct response, half a point for a partially correct one.
• A final test of 20 MCQs similar to, but slightly modified from, the practice questions, given immediately or after three weeks.

Constraints

• Delivered with online tools (Google Doc and Google Form Quiz) under a signed integrity declaration.
• No restudy or rereading control condition was included.

Target Learners

• First-year undergraduates enrolled in a Cognitive Psychology course with MUET Band 3 or above English proficiency

Target Goals

• Reading comprehension of course content measured at lower-order and higher-order levels of thinking

Claims

• Production Vs Recognition Retrieval Practice No Significant Difference Reading Comprehension [~M]
• Retrieval Practice Lower Order Questions Outscore Higher Order Questions [~M]
• Retrieval Practice Reading Comprehension No Significant Retention Interval Difference [~M]

Related Patterns

• Retrieval Practice
• Multiple Choice Retrieval Questions With Competitive Alternatives
• Automated generation of seven vocabulary activity types with distractor collision prevention

Examples

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Key Sources

• Nero, C. A., & Zulkiply, N. (2021). The Effects of Retrieval Practice Across Levels of Thinking and Retention Interval on Reading Comprehension. Asian Journal of University Education (AJUE), 17(4). https://doi.org/10.24191/ajue.v17i4.16222

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	five-phase-retrieval-practice-session-format-by-level-of-thinking
title	Five-phase retrieval practice session crossing question format and level of thinking
description	The study's session design: read a passage, do a distractor task, answer mixed-format retrieval questions, do a second distractor, then take a final test.
status	review
generated	by claude/unspecified on 2026-09-24
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — nero-2021

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