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A Classroom Study on the Relationship Between Student Achievement and Retrieval-Enhanced Learning

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Abstract

Retrieval practice has been shown to produce powerful learning gains in laboratory experiments but has seldom been explored in classrooms as a means of enhancing students’ learning of their course-relevant material. Furthermore, research is lacking concerning the role of individual differences in learning from retrieval. The current study explored the effects of retrieval in a large undergraduate introductory biology course as a function of individual differences in student achievement. Students completed in-class exercises that required them to retrieve course information (e.g., recalling definitions for terms and labeling diagrams) followed by feedback or to simply copy the information without retrieving it. A later quiz over the information showed that high-performing students benefited more from retrieving than copying, whereas middle- and low-performing students benefited more from copying than retrieving. When asked to predict their quiz scores following the in-class exercises, high-performers demonstrated better overall metacognitive calibration compared to middle- or low-performers. These results highlight the importance of individual differences in learning from retrieval and encourage future research using course-relevant material to consider the role of student achievement in classroom-based interventions.

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Author Note

Shana K. Carpenter, Terry J. S. Lund, and Patrick I. Armstrong, Department of Psychology, Iowa State University; Clark R. Coffman, Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University; Monica H. Lamm, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University; Robert D. Reason, School of Education, Iowa State University.

Portions of this study were presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Biology Education Research (Minneapolis, MN, July 2014). We thank Tyler McGrath for creating the images for the in-class exercises, and Chad Fernandez, Shuhebur Rahman, Andrew Woods, and Kristi Harris for their assistance with scoring the quizzes and in-class exercises.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, W112 Lagomarcino Hall, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Shana K. Carpenter, Terry J. S. Lund, Clark R. Coffman, Patrick I. Armstrong, Monica H. Lamm & Robert D. Reason

Authors
  1. Shana K. Carpenter
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  2. Terry J. S. Lund
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  3. Clark R. Coffman
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  4. Patrick I. Armstrong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shana K. Carpenter.

Appendices

Appendix A

Materials used in the current study.

  1. 1.

    Polar body: a cell produced by asymmetric cell divisions during meiosis.

  2. 2.

    Oogonium: the germ cell progenitor found in females.

  3. 3.

    Primary oocyte: an oogonium that has undergone some of the early stages of meiosis and replicated its DNA.

  4. 4.

    Secondary oocyte: an oocyte that has undergone meiosis I and is now 2n.

  5. 5.

    Haploid egg: the mature female reproductive cell that contains one copy of the genome.

    figure a

Appendix B

Quiz questions used in the current study (with correct answers bolded). Questions 1–5 were designed to measure knowledge of the term definitions, and questions 6–10 were designed to measure comprehension.

  1. 1.

    Which of the following has undergone some of the early stages of meiosis and replicated its DNA?

    1. A.

      haploid egg

    2. B.

      primary oocyte

    3. C.

      polar body

    4. D.

      oogonium

    5. E.

      I do not know

  2. 2.

    Which describes a cell produced by asymmetric cell divisions during meiosis?

    1. A.

      polar body

    2. B.

      haploid egg

    3. C.

      oocyte

    4. D.

      Barr body

    5. E.

      I do not know

  3. 3.

    What is the germ cell progenitor found in females?

    1. A.

      oocyte

    2. B.

      gamete

    3. C.

      embryo

    4. D.

      oogonium

    5. E.

      I do not know

  4. 4.

    What is the female reproductive cell that contains one copy of the genome?

    1. A.

      oogonium

    2. B.

      polar body

    3. C.

      haploid egg

    4. D.

      zygote

    5. E.

      I do not know

  5. 5.

    Which of the following has completed meiosis I and is now 2n?

    1. A.

      primary oocyte

    2. B.

      secondary oocyte

    3. C.

      tertiary oocyte

    4. D.

      quaternary oocyte

    5. E.

      I do not know

  6. 6.

    A medication is developed that causes the oocyte to perpetually undergo uneven division. What is the result?

    1. A.

      many polar bodies and a fertile person

    2. B.

      many polar bodies and an infertile person

    3. C.

      few polar bodies and a fertile person

    4. D.

      few polar bodies and an infertile person

    5. E.

      I do not know

  7. 7.

    A patient suffers from a disease which arrests the development of the secondary oocyte. Which of the following CANNOT occur?

    1. A.

      The first part of meiosis I

    2. B.

      The completion of meiosis I

    3. C.

      DNA replication

    4. D.

      Formation of polar bodies

    5. E.

      I do not know

  8. 8.

    A patient suffers from a condition that prevents her germ cells’ DNA from replicating. What effect does this have?

    1. A.

      Polar bodies will degenerate

    2. B.

      Meiosis I, but not meiosis II will occur

    3. C.

      A secondary oocyte will not form

    4. D.

      A 2n egg will form

    5. E.

      I do not know

  9. 9.

    Medication has been developed to prevent the early stages of meiosis. Which of the following stages is arrested?

    1. A.

      Haploid egg

    2. B.

      Secondary oocyte

    3. C.

      Primary oocyte

    4. D.

      Secondary polar body

    5. E.

      I do not know

  10. 10.

    If a patient’s germ cell development stops after meiosis II, is she fertile?

    1. A.

      No, the DNA has not replicated

    2. B.

      Yes, the polar body has degenerated

    3. C.

      No, the haploid egg has not formed

    4. D.

      Yes, this is normal development

    5. E.

      I do not know

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Carpenter, S.K., Lund, T.J.S., Coffman, C.R. et al. A Classroom Study on the Relationship Between Student Achievement and Retrieval-Enhanced Learning. Educ Psychol Rev 28, 353–375 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9311-9

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