Endres Tino, Renkl Alexander
Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg , Freiburg, Germany.
Front Psychol. 2015 Jul 24;6:1054. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01054. eCollection 2015.
The testing effect-more learning by testing as compared to restudying-is a well-established finding. A typical testing procedure in the context of meaningful learning comprises a recall task after an initial study phase. Different theories refer to different mechanisms when explaining the positive effects of such recall tasks. In the context of learning from expository texts, we tested three mechanisms as suggested by a variety of prominent approaches: the elaborative-retrieval theory, the theory of transfer-appropriate processing, and the unspecific-goal perspective. We experimentally varied the type of testing task (short-answer task vs. free-recall task, both compared to a restudy task) in a within-subject design (N = 47 university students). We replicated the testing effect. We found no evidence for a transfer-appropriate processing effect or an unspecific-goal effect. The testing effect disappeared when statistically controlling for mental effort. Initially non-tested material was also fostered by testing (spreading activation effect). These findings indicate that testing helps learning when learners must invest substantial mental effort, as suggested by the elaborative retrieval theory. For educational purposes, testing tasks should be assigned that require the learners to invest substantial mental effort.
测试效应——与重新学习相比，通过测试能实现更多学习——是一个已被充分证实的发现。在有意义学习的背景下，一个典型的测试程序包括在初始学习阶段之后进行回忆任务。在解释此类回忆任务的积极效果时，不同的理论涉及不同的机制。在从说明性文本学习的背景下，我们按照多种著名方法所提出的那样，测试了三种机制：精细加工-提取理论、迁移适当加工理论和非特定目标视角。我们在一项被试内设计（N = 47名大学生）中，对测试任务的类型（简答题任务与自由回忆任务，二者均与重新学习任务相比较）进行了实验性的改变。我们重复验证了测试效应。我们没有发现迁移适当加工效应或非特定目标效应的证据。当对心理努力进行统计控制时，测试效应消失了。测试也促进了最初未测试材料的学习（扩散激活效应）。这些发现表明，正如精细加工提取理论所指出的，当学习者必须投入大量心理努力时，测试有助于学习。出于教育目的，应布置要求学习者投入大量心理努力的测试任务。
