The Testing Effect: Basic Research and Educational Applications

From the Carolina Teaching & Learning Colloquium Series

Dr. Neil Mulligan, Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience, discusses the testing effect. Tests do not just reveal what has been learned, they can be powerful learning experiences in their own right. Over the past 15 years, substantial research examined how tests influence subsequent memory and learning. Put simply, the testing effect demonstrates that taking a test can increase memory for the tested material more than other forms of study. Retrieval-based learning does not simply benefit the tested materials, but can also:

1. Enhance memory for related but non-tested material (transfer)
2. Enhance learning of new material presented after the test (the forward testing effect)
3. Influence the learner’s metacognitive awareness of effective and less effective learning strategies
4. Decrease mind-wandering

Limitations and unanswered questions will also be discussed. Sponsored by the Center for Faculty Excellence, Carolina Seminars, and the Psychology and Neuroscience Dept.