Retrieval Practice, Enhancing Learning in Electrical Science
James Eustace and Pramod Pathak
School of Computing, National College of Ireland, IFSC, Dublin, Ireland
Keywords: Testing Effect, Retrieval Practice, Practice Testing Learning Framework, Electrical Science, Problem Solving.
Abstract: After an initial learning period taking a practice test improves long-term retention compared with not taking
a practice test. This testing effect finding has significant relevance for education, however, integrating
retrieval practice effectively into teaching and learning activities presents challenges to educators in classroom
situations. This paper extends previous research applying the Practice Testing Learning Framework (PTLF)
to support teaching and learning using practice testing in the classroom with materials that range in complexity
from understanding to problem-solving in electrical science. Findings from this study show the number of
practice tests completed and overall engagement with practice tests had a significant impact on criterion test
performance in the topics enhancing learning where practice tests were available and more effective than
other techniques employed. The testing effect was evident with materials involving problem-solving and the
authors recommend the PTLF to integrate retrieval practice into teaching and learning activities.
1 INTRODUCTION
Retrieval practice has interested researchers for over
a hundred years (Abbott, 1909) and is supported by a
considerable body of research (Roediger and
Karpicke, 2006; Roediger et al., 2011; Roediger,
Putnam and Smith, 2011) and with increased interest
in the last decade (Karpicke, 2017). Studies on the
effects of retrieval practice on students’ learning of
course material are limited and how to integrate
retrieval practice effectively into teaching and
learning activities has not been addressed and
presents challenges to educators particularly where
problem-solving, and transfer is required. This paper
addresses this gap with the Practice Testing Learning
Framework (PTLF) and its application using three
topics in Electric Science in the national Electrical
Apprenticeship Programme in Ireland.
Students struggle to regulate their learning often
using ineffective techniques (Dunlosky et al., 2013),
techniques which they are familiar with and have
used before. Apprentices are no different and have
difficulty with theory examinations in the Electrical
Apprenticeship at Phase 2. Apprentices range in age
from 16, the minimum age of employment as an
Electrical apprentice to more mature learners. This
paper investigates whether retrieval practice enhances
learning in electrical science in topics requiring
application and problem-solving within the PTLF,
and is the treatment more effective than other
techniques employed by apprentices?
Section 2 provides a review of recent research of
retrieval practice in classroom contexts and an
introduction to the PTLF is outlined in Section 3,
while Section 4 describes methods for the quasi-
experimental design adopted for this study. Section 5
presenting the results followed by a discussion in
Section 6 and the conclusions are presented in Section
7.
2 RETRIEVAL PRACTICE IN
CLASSROOM CONTEXTS
Retrieval practice research in classroom contexts has
been limited with studies emerging using
computerised quizzing in electrical science (Eustace
and Pathak, 2018), introductory statistics (Eustace
and Pathak, 2017), mathematics for computing
(Eustace et al., 2015), engineering (Butler et al.,
2014), Spanish language learning (Lindsey et al.,
2014) and introductory psychology (Pennebaker et
al., 2013).
Paper-based practice tests in introductory
psychology (Batsell et al., 2017) and the use of
clicker systems in middle school science (Roediger et
al., 2011; McDaniel et al., 2013), educational
psychology (Mayer et al., 2009) are also evident in a
262
Eustace, J. and Pathak, P.
Retrieval Practice, Enhancing Learning in Electrical Science.
DOI: 10.5220/0007674102620270
In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2019), pages 262-270
ISBN: 978-989-758-367-4
Copyright
c
2019 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
number of classroom studies. The next section will
look at computerised quizzing in classroom contexts.
2.1 Computerised Quizzing
The use of computerised or online quizzes allows
practice tests to be delivered at scale over time
providing learners with feedback. One study
employed the OpenStax Tutor system using a within-
subjects experimental design. Improvements were
observed in learning in the STEM classroom with
retrieval practice items requiring the application of a
concept by combining three principles from cognitive
science, (1) repeated retrieval practice, (2)
distribution over time and (3) feedback. The
experiment utilised a single factor, intervention
versus standard practice, within groups with random
assignment to groups, n=40. The experiment was
conducted within the classroom and unlike laboratory
experiments with high levels of control which may
not transfer to the classroom, learners were not
restricted from other activities so as not to impact on
the learning process. The small to medium effect sizes
observed from the ‘noisy’ classroom reflect the
improved learning within the classroom (Butler et
al., 2014).
Another study administered the quizzes using a
course management system in an introductory
biology course. This study investigated the effect of
exam-question level on fostering student conceptual
understanding using low-level and high-level quizzes
and exams. The findings of the study recommend that
assessments should be designed at higher levels of
Bloom’s taxonomy to assess the desired learning
outcomes which in turn helps students to direct their
learning leading to deeper conceptual understanding.
The problem remains however that many science
instructors fail to design assessments that assess the
required cognitive process and often test only content
knowledge (Jensen et al., 2014).
A Web-based flash-card tutoring system, the
Colorado Optimized Language Tutor (COLT) was
used for Spanish foreign-language instruction to
create a personalised review system. The system
required students to type the Spanish translations after
presenting them with vocabulary words and short
sentences in English after which corrective feedback
was provided. The study found that personalized
review enhanced performance by 16.5% over current
educational practice (massed study) with a 10.0%
improvement over a one-size-fits-all strategy for
spaced study (Lindsey et al., 2014).
The TOWER (Texas Online World of
Educational Research), an online teaching and
learning platform that provides student feedback on
their performance as they learn the material was used
in another study. The first 10-minutes of each class
were devoted to an 8-item daily quiz with seven of the
questions on previous material and a personalised
question the student had answered incorrectly on a
previous quiz. For the duration of the study, students
took 26, 8-item multiple-choice quizzes at the
beginning of every class via their own devices. No
final or other exams were administered. Their
performance was based on an analysis of students’
overall grade based on quizzes and writing
assignments and comparison with classes in previous
years (Pennebaker et al., 2013).
3 PRACTICE TESTING
LEARNING FRAMEWORK
The studies to date employing e-assessment have not
positioned practice tests within an overall learning
model or framework. The PTLF (Eustace and Pathak,
2018) illustrated in Figure 1, addresses this gap and is
an operationalisation of the Conversational
Framework, where the e-assessment practice test
environment is the “task practice environment” or
teachers constructed environment (Laurillard, 2002).
Within the PTLF, learning activities occur between
two levels; the discursive/theoretical level and the
practice/practical level and these activities reflect the
learning process (Laurillard, 2009).
First Principles of Instruction (Merrill, 2002)
adopts a problem-centred approach where learners
are engaged in solving real-world problems and is
integrated within the PTLF in Figure 1. Activation
occurs when existing knowledge is leveraged by the
teacher as a foundation for new knowledge and this
new knowledge is demonstrated to the learner. The
teacher adapts the practice test environment to present
the problem. The learner applies new knowledge with
engagement in the task practice environment. The
learner adapts their practice to the problem using
existing knowledge and through their action and
subsequent feedback integrates new knowledge
through reflection.
The Cognitive Rigor (CR) Matrix (Hess et al.,
2009) combines the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy,
Cognitive Process Dimension (CPD) with DOK
Levels (Webb, 2002) in a two-dimensional model. By
supporting alignment between learning outcomes and
test item development, Hess’s CR matrix supports
retrieval-based learning within the Practice Testing
Learning Framework.
Retrieval Practice, Enhancing Learning in Electrical Science
263
Figure 1: Practice Testing Learning Framework (PTLF)
adapted from (Laurillard, 2002).
3.1 Testing Effect Theories
Theories proposed to account for the testing effect
include the amount of exposure, elaborative retrieval
and transfer appropriate processing and are briefly
described here for context.
The amount of exposure hypothesis (Slamecka
and Katsaiti, 1988) argue that the testing effect is due
to the over-learning of the items through repeated
exposure and successful recalling. However the
testing effect cannot be fully explained by the amount
of exposure alone as while additional studying can
produce better retention in the short term, it is
surpassed by practice testing which produces better
long-term retention on tested material (Roediger and
Karpicke, 2006; Roediger et al., 2011) and on non-
tested material (Chan, 2010; Little and Bjork, 2014).
The elaborative retrieval hypothesis (Carpenter,
2009; McDaniel et al., 2011) advances the idea that
the process of retrieval modifies memory and
increases the probability of future successful
retrieval. In support of the retrieval effort hypothesis,
findings indicate that as retrieval difficulty during
practice tests increase, subsequent criterion test
performance also increases (Pyc and Rawson, 2009;
Smith and Karpicke, 2013; Vaughn, Rawson and Pyc,
2013). For a testing effect to occur, students must be
able to answer questions successfully. If the practice
test difficulty is such that no items are recalled or if
the correct answers to the non-recalled items are not
given for the test topic, then minimal, none or even a
negative test effect may occur.
The most longstanding hypothesis looks at the
testing effect from transfer-appropriate processing
(TAP) viewpoint where memory performance is
dependent on the overlap between the encoding
process and the retrieval process (Morris et al., 1977).
It is the student engagement with similar operations
or processes during testing that results in enhanced
performance compared with items not tested or only
restudied. This theory has been broadly considered
from the perspective of matching item formats from
practice test to criterion test and in situations where
the criterion test differs from the initial test or requires
transfer, then TAP predicts a reduction in the size of
the testing effect (Rohrer et al., 2010). However, an
alternative perspective of TAP found a testing effect
when matching cognitive processes between initial
and criterion tests using high-level items in new
contexts enhanced performance in both high and low-
level conditions (Jensen et al., 2014).
This study does not align particularly to any one
of these theories in isolation but does support
exposure to appropriate materials and that elaborative
retrieval invoking the cognitive process at the
required depth of knowledge can enhance learning.
4 METHODS
Conducting research in the classroom is not without
challenge particularly where the treatment impacts on
classroom activities, summative assessment
outcomes and overall course performance. The
methods adopted in this study minimised disruption
to apprentices and were implemented for three topics.
The previous study involving one topic, had two
limitations which are addressed in this study by
increasing the number of treatment topics and
comparing within group performance of treatment
and non-treatment topics. The methods and
procedures adopted reflect these concerns with all
apprentices enrolled in the practice test treatment with
three topics using a within-group design, with
participant performance being measured and
compared against performance in the non-treatment
topics. While the difficulty of topics does vary, the
topics selected for treatment reflected broadly the
non-treatment topics involving application and
problem-solving. Learner ability, motivation and
other learning opportunities are uncontrolled factors
however by comparing participant performance
within the topics in the ‘noisy’ classroom should
address these validity concerns.
4.1 Course and Materials
As with the previous study (Eustace and Pathak,
2018), this was an apprenticeship for Electrical
apprentices enrolled in a 4-year national programme.
The apprenticeship consists of four on-the-job
phases with an approved employer and three off-the-
job phases in an educational organisation. The study
was conducted during Phase 2, which is delivered in
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264
the Education and Training Board (ETB) training
centres over 22 weeks. The course in Phase 2 consists
of seven modules of learning: (1) Electrical Science,
(2) Installation Techniques 1, (3) Installation
Techniques 2, (4) Panel Wiring and Motor Control,
(5) Fundamentals of Alternative Electrical Energy
Sources, (6) Team Leadership and (7)
Communications.
Table 1: Learning outcomes supported by Practice Tests.
Unit
Learning Outcome(s)
CPD*
DOK**
Ohms Law/The
basic
circuit
Identify graphical symbols
associated with the basic circuit
2
2
State the units associated with
basic electrical quantities
2
1
State the three main effects that
electric current has upon the
basic circuit
2
1
Calculate circuit values using
Ohm’s Law
3
2
Resistance network measurement
Identify the differences between
series, parallel and series/
parallel resistive circuits using a
multimeter
2
2
Calculate the total resistance,
voltage and current of series,
parallel and series/parallel
resistive circuits using the
relevant formulae and a
multimeter
3
2
Identify the differences between
series, parallel combinations of
cells in relation to the voltage
and current outputs using the
relevant formulae and a
multimeter
3
2
Explain resistivity and list the
factors which affect it
2
1
Cables and cable
terminations
Describe the construction, sizes
and applications of PVC and
PVC/PVC cables (up to
16mm
2
) and of flexible cords
(up to 2.5mm
2
)
2
2
Apply proper safety, care,
handling and storage techniques
to tools
2
2
CPD* 1 = Remember, 2 = Understand, 3 = Apply.
DOK** 1 = Recall and Reproduction, 2 = Skills and
Concepts.
The practice test development approach employed
Hess’s CR matrix to map learning outcomes to
support item development and classification (Table
1). Test items were designed to reflect the cognitive
process dimension with the required depth of
knowledge. The treatment topics included questions
requiring application and problem solving with the
practice tests integrated into the learning environment
as described in the PTLF.
4.2 Participants
The participants in the study were n=164 Electrical
apprentices on Phase 2 of their national Electrical
apprenticeship programme in 2016. The apprentices
were assigned to classes in Education and Training
Board (ETB) Training Centre’s by SOLAS, the
coordinating provider for the Electrical
Apprenticeship. The assignment of apprentices to
classes is based on apprentice registration number
which is allocated at the beginning of an
apprenticeship with participants being drawn for
locations nationally to make up each class. The
typical apprenticeship class size at Phase 2 is small
relative to other courses with n=14. All participants
are enrolled in the Apprenticeship Moodle Learning
Management System following registration, which
provides apprentices assess to course material and
resources. The practice tests were provided as an
optional course resource, and in contrast to laboratory
studies where the learning process is highly
controlled, participants manage their own learning
regarding taking the practice tests. The concerns
around the validity of results and findings are
discussed further in Section 6.
4.3 Procedures
As in the previous study (Eustace and Pathak, 2018),
the materials developed for the study consisted of
MCQ test items, assembled into a test bank. A
Moodle Learning Management System was used to
deploy the practice tests. The criterion test is the
national T1 Theory Test used in the Apprenticeship
Programme. It consists of 75 items, four option
MCQ’s with one correct option. The criterion test is
unseen to participants and delivered by a different
assessment management system, not linked to the
practice test item bank. Apprentices must
successfully answer at least 52 of the items correctly
to pass the criterion test.
The criterion test topics include Ohms Law/The
basic circuit; Resistance network measurement;
Power and energy; Cables and cable termination;
lighting circuits; Bell circuits; Fixed appliance and
socket Circuits; Earthing and bonding and Installation
testing.
Practice tests were developed and made available
to participants via Moodle for three topics, Ohms
Law/The basic circuit, Resistance network
measurement and Cables and cable terminations.
Retrieval Practice, Enhancing Learning in Electrical Science
265
Each practice test consisted of 15 MCQ’s, with a
minimum forced delay of 1 day between attempts and
a 20-minute time limit for each test. Feedback was
deferred, apprentices were required to select an
answer to each question and then submit the test
before the test is graded, or feedback is given.
Feedback is shown immediately after the attempt
showing whether correct, and the marks received.
Participants attempted practice tests in their own time
which were available for the duration of the course.
Participants were informed by email and Moodle
message that the practice tests consisted of 15
multiple choice questions and once they started, they
had 20 minutes to complete the test. Participants were
also informed they would have to wait 1 day between
attempts at the same version and that the practice test
results were not included in the course result
calculation. The remaining six topics were used as a
control as no practice tests were provided. All topics
were assessed in the criterion test which is typically
administered around week 12 of the course. The
additional ‘noisy’ activities of apprentices and
instructors were not controlled, i.e. participants may
have undertaken self-testing, taken additional
instructor-led paper-based tests or applied preferred
study techniques.
5 RESULTS
5.1 Number of Practice Tests
The number of practice tests taken by apprentices had
a significant impact on criterion test performance in
all treatment topics, and presented in Figures: 2, 3 and
4 respectively.
Table 2 reflects reduced participation after the
initial Ohms Law practice tests with higher numbers
not taking the practice tests in resistance and cables.
Cohen’s d is used in this study and provides a
measure of effect size, with 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 reflecting
small, medium, and large effect sizes, respectively
(Cohen, 1988).
A One-Way ANOVA with the dependent
variable, the performance in the Ohms Law/The basic
circuit topic in the criterion test, with the number of
practice tests as the factor found a significant
improvement in performance with p = .006, F = 3.765
between groups. A small effect size with Cohen's d =
0.48 was observed between no practice tests and 3 to
4 practice tests and a large effect size observed
between no practice tests and 7 to 9 practice tests with
Cohen's d = 0.89.
Figure 2: Performance in Ohms Law.
Figure 3: Performance in Resistance.
Figure 4: Performance in Cables.
A One-Way ANOVA with the dependent
variable, the performance in the Resistance network
measurement topic in the criterion test, with the
number of practice tests as the factor found a
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266
significant improvement in performance with p =
.003, F = 4.243 between groups, A large effect size
with Cohen's d = 1.05 was observed between no
practice tests and 3 to 4 practice tests.
A One-Way ANOVA with the dependent
variable, the performance in the Cables and cable
terminations topic in the criterion test, with the
number of practice tests as the factor found a
significant improvement in performance with p =
.014, F = 3.209 between groups. A small effect size
with Cohen's d = 0.42 was observed between no
practice tests and 3 to 4 practice tests and a large
effect size observed with a Cohen's d = 0.87 between
no practice tests and 7 to 9 practice tests.
Table 2: Number of participants taking the practice tests.
Attempts
Ohms Law
Resistance
Cables
0
44
69
63
1 to 2
28
71
31
3 to 4
55
22
40
5 to 6
15
1
15
7 to 9
22
1
15
5.2 Overall Participant Engagement
To evaluate the performance of apprentices relative to
their engagement with the practice tests the results of
the four groups are presented in Table 3. Within the
study 42 did not take any practice tests, 38 completed
some practice tests, 63 completed all practice tests at
least once, and 21 completed all practice tests three or
more times. A One-Way ANOVA with the dependent
variables, the performance in the topics in the
criterion test, with completion of the practice tests as
the factor found a significant improvement in
performance between groups for all three with p =
.004, F = 4.680 for Ohms Law, p = .004, F = 4.566
for Resistance and p = .003, and F = 4.752 for Cables.
Table 3: Mean score in criterion test topics.
N
Ohms
Law
Resistance
Cables
42
73.57
64.29
77.38
38
80.53
68.71
79.47
63
83.02
70.55
85.87
21
89.52
82.01
87.14
164
80.85
69.99
82.38
Not completing any practice tests and completing
all practice tests three or more times for Ohms Law
had a medium effect size with Cohen’s d = 0.62.
Resistance had a large effect size with Cohen’s d =
1.04 and Cables had a medium effect size with
Cohen’s d = 0.69.
5.3 Overall Criterion Test
Performance
The overall criterion test topic performance was
reviewed to determine the relative difficulty of topics
for apprentices and is presented in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Overall criterion test topic performance.
The mean score in each topic of the criterion test
reflects the relative difficulty with Ohms Law =
80.85, Resistance = 69.9864, Power and energy =
62.2, Cables = 82.38, Lighting = 82.56, Bell circuits
= 76.83, Fixed appliances = 75, Earthing and bonding
= 73.78 and Installation testing = 65.24. The three
most difficult topics based on the results are Power
and energy, Installation testing and Resistance, in that
order.
5.4 Within-group Results
The statistics from a paired sample T-Test (Table 4)
of apprentices that completed at least one or more
attempts of each of the three topics where practice
tests were available, and their performance in the
remaining topics found a mean of 81.42 with a
standard deviation of 11.21 while topics without
practice tests for the same group had a mean of 73.32
with a standard deviation of 13.83.
Table 4: Paired sample T-Test descriptive statistics of the
group that participated in all practice tests at least once.
Mean
N
Std. Dev
Std. Error
Mean
Topics with PT
81.42
84
11.21
1.22
Topics without PT
73.32
84
13.83
1.51
The results from the paired sample T-Test found
a statistically significant difference between the mean
of topics with practice tests and mean of topics
Retrieval Practice, Enhancing Learning in Electrical Science
267
without practice tests within the group with a Sig. (2-
Tailed) value p < .001, t = 5.960.
The statistics from a paired sample T-Test (Table
5) of apprentices that did not participate in any
practice tests found a mean of 71.75 with a standard
deviation of 16.19 for the treatment topics while non-
treatment topics for the same group had a mean of
70.99 with a standard deviation of 13.42.
Table 5: Paired sample T-Test descriptive statistics of the
group that did not participate in any practice tests.
Mean
N
Std. Dev
Std. Error
Mean
Topics with PT
71.75
42
16.19
2.50
Topics without PT
70.99
42
13.42
2.07
The results from the paired sample T-Test found
no statistically significant difference between the
mean of topics with practice tests and mean of topics
without practice tests within the group that did not
participate in practice tests with a Sig. (2-Tailed)
value p = .635, t = .478.
5.5 Survey - No Practice Test Group
A survey post-experiment was conducted of the 42
apprentices that did not complete any practice tests
with 11 respondents (26.19%). Two themes emerged;
lack of awareness of the practice tests as 55% of
respondents claimed they didn’t know about them and
45% preferred to use their own revision techniques.
6 DISCUSSION
A discussion follows on the limitations of the
experimental design, participant engagement in
practice tests, the within-group results and reflection
on earlier findings.
6.1 Validity of Experimental Design
Typically with practice testing in laboratory
conditions, students are presented with materials to be
learned and then randomly assigned to groups where
one group completes a practice test or sequence of
practice tests, and the other group studies the material
again. Learner performance is evaluated in a criterion
test or delayed criterion test and results evaluated
between groups. It could be argued that the
participants that availed of practice tests in this study
were more motivated or higher performing and that
other uncontrolled factors such as self-testing
influenced the enhanced performance. While these
factors are difficult to control in the classroom, the
finding of significance with the paired sample T-Test
found that learning was enhanced for practice test
participants that engaged in the practice tests in those
treatment topics but did not enhance their learning in
the non-treatment topics. Interestingly, the results of
the paired sample T-Test of the group that did not
participate in any practice tests found no significant
difference between their performance in treatment
and non-treatment topics. These findings would
suggest that the practice testing treatment condition
had a significant impact on learning and that the
within-group design is valid for the classroom
experiment.
6.2 Engagement in Practice Tests
The number of practice tests taken by participants had
a significant impact on criterion test performance in
all treatment topics. These findings are consistent
with research involving Ohms Law with 3 to 4
practice tests enhancing the learning process (Eustace
and Pathak, 2018). Participants found resistance
network measurement a more difficult topic than the
other treatment topics, and this is reflected in the no
practice test group not meeting the minimum standard
compared to the other treatment topics. Participants
did not take as many attempts at the resistance
practice test with only 2 participants taking 5 or more
practice tests. 69 did not avail of any practice tests of
which 42 scored less than 70% in the resistance topic
on the criterion test, and 23 did not pass the criterion
test overall suggesting these learners had difficulty
during the learning process. The increase in the
number of learners not availing of the resistance and
cables practice tests compared to the ohms law
practice tests may be attributed to novelty, as Ohms
Law presented first or increased workload as learners
were exposed to more material which may have taken
their attention. Overall, taking all practice tests at
least once enhanced learning, and taking 3 or more
practice tests had the greatest effect.
6.3 Effect Size
The largest effect size was observed for the resistance
topic, the more difficult of the three treatment topics.
Of the group (42) that did not complete any practice
tests the mean performance in the criterion test was
73.57, 64.29, 77.38 for Ohms Law, resistance and
cables respectively. The impact of the practice tests
was most pronounced in the Resistance topic with a
large effect size, Cohen's d = 1.05 between no
practice tests and 3 to 4 practice tests. This topic had
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268
a greater number of items requiring application and
problem solving and the testing effect is more
pronounced for these items. In Ohms Law, a large
effect size was observed between no practice tests and
7 to 9 practice tests with Cohen's d = 0.89. Medium
effect sizes were observed in Ohms Law and cables
for 3 to 4 practice tests compared to no practice tests.
6.4 Practice Test Participation
For those that did not avail of the practice tests,
accessing the Moodle system and difficulty with
passwords contributed to the lack of awareness with
others preferring to use alternative study techniques.
Several techniques have been identified with varying
degrees of effectiveness (Dunlosky et al., 2013), and
less effective techniques such as highlighting and
rereading continue to be popular with apprentices
(Eustace and Pathak, 2018). There was no significant
difference between treatment and non-treatment topics
for this group that did not avail of the practice tests.
7 CONCLUSIONS
This paper investigated e-assessment practice testing
within the PTLF in electrical science and the impact
of practice tests to enhance learning as measured in
the criterion test topic performance. Findings from
this study show the number of practice tests
completed and overall engagement with practice tests
had a significant impact on criterion test performance
in the topics where practice tests were available.
Assessment items should be designed to the cognitive
process dimension and depth of knowledge to assess
the intended learning outcomes which in turn helps
participants to direct their learning leading to deeper
conceptual understanding. The testing effect was
evident with materials involving problem-solving and
the authors recommend the use the PTLF to integrate
retrieval practice into teaching and learning activities.
The practice tests were more effective that the other
techniques employed by apprentices. Future work
will extend this research further to include all topics
assessed in the criterion test for electrical science and
examine the learner experience and the experience of
instructors applying the PTLF.
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