Comparison of Test Scores and Metacognitive Ratings after Restudy and Retrieval Practice with Learning and Testing Mindset

Abstract: The retrieval practice effect refers to promotion of learning via tests. Most of the factors investigated on this effect are non-modifiable to learners, so we investigated the impact of a learner-modifiable factor, mindset, on this effect. We compared the final scores of university students exposed to concepts from a fictional passage by three different ways. First, participants took a mutiple-choice question (MCQ) practice test re-exposing five concepts, with the aim of doing well on the practice test (testing mindset). Next, participants took a MCQ practice test re-exposing five different concepts, with the aim of using it as a deliberate learning opportunity (learning mindset). Then, participants restudied five different concepts as statements. Two to four days later, all participants took a final MCQ exam on all concepts. We found that final test scores was 10% higher for concepts re-exposed by testing, rather than restudy, and this approached significance (p = 0.06). We found no effect of mindset of the retrieval practice effect (p = 0.87), or on final scores (p = 0.22). We also found no difference in participants' average effectiveness rating for each condition (p = 0.14). Therefore, there is no evidence that learners' approach during a practice test can increase their long-term retention. Methods: This dataset includes the multiple-choice question (MCQs) test scores for university students who read a fiction-based passage, and after a 30-seconds distractor, were re-exposed to five different concepts from the passage in three different ways. The first re-exposure condition was "Retrieval Practice with Testing Mindset". This involved an initial test lasting two minutes, re-exposing five concepts which the instructions, "This test is to assess what you have learnt. Try to get the best score that you can on this test." Feedback in the form of the correct answer was displayed after each response. This was followed by the identical MCQs in a single final test administered two to four days later. The second re-exposure condition was "Retrieval Practice with Learning Mindset". This involved an initial test lasting two minutes, re-exposing five different concepts, with the instructions, "This test is to help you prepare for a later test. Do not focus on your score, try to learn." Feedback in the form of the correst answer was displayed after each response. This was followed by identical MCQs in a single final test, administered two to four days later. The third re-exposure condition was "Restudy", which involved restudying five statements, with the instructions, "Study these statements. You will be asked questions on them another time." There was no initial test scores for this condition, only final test scores. MCQ versions of the statements were adminstered on a single final test, two to four days later. At the end of each re-exposure, participants rated how effective they perceived each instruction was to their learning. There were three versions of the study and each group of concepts was re-exposed by each re-exposure condition.