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Put Learning to the Test Frequent testing leads to assurance of learning—but only if the tests are done right. C by Lawrence M. Rudner ollege students have a hard time remembering what they've learned, and their poor retention rate has been well-documented. For example, in a 1980 study, 1,220 college students were re-tested seven years after they had taken a two-semester economics course. On average, when com- pared with a group that had not even taken the course, they scored only 9.8 percent higher on course content. Even while students are still in school, many of them appear to do well all semester, then fail the final. Others cram for the exam, but don't retain enough of the material to move on to more advanced courses. The problem may not be that students aren't studying enough—it may be that they're not being tested enough. That conclusion is drawn from early research in the sci- ence of learning, an emerging field that has come about as public policy and mandated high-stakes testing have focused attention on learning outcomes. In this field, sci- entists seek to identify instructional conditions that pro- mote robust student learning—specifically, learning that is retained for long durations, transfers to novel situations, or serves as a foundation for future learning. Starting this year, the National Science Foundation plans to fund mul- tiple large-scale, long-term centers focused on the science of learning. So far, it appears that a somewhat counterintuitive take on a well-known phrase is re-emerging as a theme: Practice makes perfect. But not just any practice. Researchers have confirmed that testing—a form of practice—produces better recall than repeated study and simple review sessions. This "testing effect" may seem to counter the conven- tional wisdom that repeated studying is what enhances learn- ing, whereas tests are just necessary evils—they motivate stu- dents to spread out their studying and they allow teachers to assign grades. Yet, the testing effect has been documented in at least 40 years of research involving students at all levels. Examining the "Testing Effect" Recent studies have highlighted the testing effect and elevated interest in the science of learning. Jeffrey Karpicke of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Henry Roediger of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, have produced testing research funded by the U.S. Depart- ment of Education. Their work has appeared in scholarly journals such as Science, Psychological Science, and the Jour- nal of Memory and Language. BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2010 31