Retrieval practice (the testing effect): research in plain words
Pulling information out of memory, by quizzing, blurting or flashcards, is one of the best-replicated ways to make learning last.
Summaries (2)
Quizzing boosts classroom learning: a meta-analysis of 222 studies
Chunliang Yang et al. (2021) · Systematic review and meta-analysis · Peer-reviewed
Across 222 studies in real classrooms with 48,478 students, low-stakes quizzing improved achievement by a medium amount compared with restudying and other strategies. Feedback, repeated quizzes and quiz questions that match the final test all changed how big the benefit was.
The classic study: testing yourself beats rereading after a week
Henry L. Roediger III et al. (2006) · Lab experiments (landmark classic) · Peer-reviewed
Students who read a passage and then tried to recall it from memory remembered more two days and one week later than students who simply read it again. Rereading won only on a test five minutes later, and it made students more confident, which is part of why rereading feels better than it works.
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Each summary says what the researchers did, who took part, what they found, the limitations, and whether we read the full paper or only the abstract.