Student spacing and self-testing strategies and their associations with learning in an upper division microbiology course

Abstract

A growing body of work has shown that two specific study strategies help explain differences in learning and achievement in gateway courses: spacing (breaking up study sessions across multiple days) and self-testing (actively recalling information from memory). However, it is still unclear whether the benefits of these strategies are applicable in more advanced biology courses, and whether promoting effective study practices in these courses (spacing and self-testing) is related to increased use of these practices and greater learning outcomes. We studied two senior-level microbiology courses that were taught by the same instructor. Using a quasi-experimental design, one course additionally received a light-touch study skills intervention, where the instructor introduced the concepts of spacing and self-testing while also providing reminders to students about utilizing these strategies. We found that, while the intervention was not related to increased use of spacing and self-testing, both strategies were positively related to learning, as measured by the final course grade. Results from multiple regression analyses revealed that engaging in spacing throughout the course was the most consistent predictor of final course grade, even after accounting for other study strategies, demographic characteristics, and prior academic achievement. Our results add to the literature emphasizing the importance of spacing in increasing students' achievement in STEM courses.

Project-based engineering learning in college: associations with self-efficacy, effort regulation, interest, skills, and performance

“…In particular, effort regulation and interest in pursuing an engineering career were associated with higher end-of-course grades. These positive associations correspond to prior research that emphasizes the importance of effort regulation and interest for student learning (Harding et al 2007 ; Liu et al 2012 ; Nelson et al 2015 ; Rodriguez et al 2021 ). This is aligned to previous research studies that alluded to the importance of students' non-cognitive skills as indicators of success in engineering.…”

Voluntary e-learning exercises support students in mastering statistics

“…The positive effect of self-testing attempts on exam performance (RQ2a) confirms general elearning practice literature for lower-order learning, using quizzes (Collins et al, 2018;Landrum, 2007;Panus et al, 2014), and higher-order learning (Förster et al, 2018;Schwerter, Dimpfl, et al, 2022), as well as the general self-testing literature (Baker et al, 2020;Hartwig & Dunlosky, 2012;Park et al, 2018;Rodriguez, Fischer, et al, 2021;Rodriguez, Kataoka, et al, 2021). More specifically, self-testing with one additional weekly e-learning exercise increased the student's final exam points in our study by 1 to 2 points.…”

“…The positive impact of self-testing and spacing on learning has been shown in many studies (Baker et al, 2020;Rodriguez, Kataoka, et al, 2021) even independent of prior performance (Rodriguez, Fischer, et al, 2021). The combination of both approaches is particularly helpful for students (Rodriguez, Fischer, et al, 2021;Roediger III & Karpicke, 2006).…”

“…Additionally, spaced-out learning over a more extended period is better than cramming before a test because memory traces are reinforced through repetition, also known as the forgetting curve effect (Murre & Dros, 2015). The positive impact of self-testing and spacing on learning has been shown in many studies (Baker et al, 2020;Rodriguez, Kataoka, et al, 2021) even independent of prior performance (Rodriguez, Fischer, et al, 2021). The combination of both approaches is particularly helpful for students (Rodriguez, Fischer, et al, 2021;Roediger III & Karpicke, 2006).…”

Examining lecture and inquiry-based laboratory performance for language minority students in science gateway courses

“…In addition, future work may uncover factors that contribute to the performance gap of LM students in initial lecture classes. Such factors may include student-level factors such as self-regulatory skills, student motivation, and study skills [ 59 – 61 ]; instructor-level factors such as teaching quality, teaching experience, instructional styles, and choice of the textbook [ 5 , 19 , 62 ]; and context-level factors such as scheduling of the classes, department funding, and the perceived chilly climate often reported in STEM learning environments [ 27 , 63 , 64 ]. Another strand of research may develop and evaluate interventions attempting to narrow this initial gap in lecture course performance for LM students such as short preparatory courses [ 51 , 52 ]; or nudging interventions [ 53 , 54 ].…”