Can We Boost Elaboration with Retrieval Practice?
By Cindy Nebel
Hot off the presses! This week I’m telling you about a new study that came out just last month which investigates how we could take generative activities like elaboration and give them the additional benefits of retrieval practice.
In this study (1), researchers were examining the interaction between two variables:
1) Generative learning: This refers to any kind of learning activity that requires the learner to create something. This can include organization of material like pointing out main ideas or elaboration like asking how and why questions.
2) Retrieval practice: Here they manipulated retrieval practice by giving students an open- or closed-book test that included the generative learning questions.
One of the main reasons the researchers were interested in this was that previous work had shown that a closed-book test could actually hurt the generative learning because of the failed retrieval. If you can’t remember the information you’re supposed to explain then you can’t explain it, right? If I ask you to provide an example of equilibrium but you can’t remember what that is, well… you’re not going to produce a very good example.
Image from Pixabay
The other interesting thing they did was changing up the conditions of retrieval practice. Some students took an open-book test, where they literally had the text sitting in front of them while they answered the questions. Some took a closed-book test (no text available), but some were in a closed/open switch task. Essentially, students could either look at the text OR they could have the generative test questions, but not both at the same time. They could switch back and forth between them. Students were then given a delayed test to see the effects of the open- and closed-book testing.
The results were interesting:
1) Closed-book tests resulted in worse performance on the generative learning activities. This was likely due to the effect I described above. If students were unable to retrieve the information they needed to complete the activities then they wouldn’t perform as well on those questions.
2) Open- and closed-book tests resulted in the same performance levels. Because open-book tests had better generation and closed-book tests had better retrieval, each group got a boost for remembering information on a final test.
3) The switch group had the highest long-term learning. This group likely got both a benefit of retrieval and a benefit of generation/elaboration. While the retrieval was of shorter duration than a pure closed-book test might be, they had more successful retrievals, making them more able to complete the generation activities as well!
There are a few important takeaways from this study.
Image from Pixabay
Mechanisms matter. Just knowing that retrieval practice is good or knowing that elaboration is good for learning is just not sufficient. We need to look at why and then examine the learning activities that we’re using to make sure that students are processing things the way we think they are.
Assessment matters. If we assume that our retrieval practice is working because it’s retrieval practice then we’re doing a disservice to our students. We need to be objective and confirm that learning is taking place and continue to make improvements where needed.
Combining learning activities isn’t always straightforward. Again, we have to consider the mechanisms. In this study, just throwing elaboration and retrieval together without carefully thinking about what would happen resulted in worse learning! So the strategies can be really powerful when combined, but this always needs to happen intentionally and thoughtfully.
Bottom Line
If you want to combine elaboration and retrieval practice, don’t just have students answer elaborative questions without being able to retrieve the answers. Give them an opportunity to go back and look up more information before trying to retrieve again. In this way, they get the added boost of improving their metacognition and learning from errors!
References:
Waldeyer, J., Heitmann, S., Moning, J., & Roelle, J. (2020). Can generative learning tasks be optimized by incorporation of retrieval practice?. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 9. 355-369.
