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When a student studies and then attempts to retrieve information on infrequent high-stakes tests, it is assumed that learning takes place during the studying and that assessment takes place during the testing. However, the results of research reported in the May 2011 Journal of Educational Psychology, challenge the effectiveness of this traditional separation of learning from assessment.

Retrieval practice using daily no- and low- stakes quizzes may be a powerful memory enhancer, and may produce more gains in long-term retention than repeated studying. In addition, repeated “light” quizzing is especially effective when immediate feedback with correct answers is given to students. No- and low- stakes quizzing has also been shown to consolidate memories, which is important for transferring knowledge across different contexts (Roediger, 2011).

One regimen that has been shown to be particularly effective is to give pre-quizzes, post-quizzes, and review quizzes, all with identical content! And even when the required high-stakes summative assessments did not contain quiz content, student performance was enhanced (McDaniel, Agarwal, Huelset, McDermott, & Roediger, H. L. (2011).

I have always wondered what the effects would be of adding giving quick, fun quizzes and puzzles to every lesson along with immediate feedback for my students. Now, I have the research to back me up when I start to implement “no- and low- stakes retrieval practice” in my classroom this fall.

McDaniel, M. A., Agarwal, P. K., Huelset, B. J., McDermott, K. B., Roediger, H. L. (2011). Test-enhanced learning in a middle school science classroom: The effects of quiz frequency and placement. Journal of Educational Psychology. 103(2), p.399-414.

Roediger, H. L. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 15(1), p. 20-27. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.09.003

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