Effects Of Testing Research Articles

Assessment of Combining Ability for Yield and Associated Traits in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

The study was carried out at the Oilseeds Research Station, Latur. During kharif 2023, crosses were produced and during Rabi 2023–24, evaluation was conducted to assess the combining ability for seed yield and component traits in parents and hybrids in sunflower. In this study, 48 F1 hybrids were produced through Line x Tester mating design during Kharif 2023 using six CMS lines (DSF-2 A, CMS 148A, CMS 47A, CMS 597A, CMS 103A, CMS 112A) and eight testers (RHA-1055, EC-601951-1, EC-601924, R-274, LTRR-341, AKSF-15R, BK-R-1, R-856). These hybrids were assessed using a Randomized Block Design with two replications at the Oilseeds Research Station in Latur during Rabi 2023–24, together with their 14 parent lines and two commercial checks (LSFH-171 and KBSH-44). The observations were recorded on five randomly selected plants and the average value of these data was calculated for ten quantitative attributes. The analysis of combining ability (GCA and SCA) effect was came out by using the Line x Tester analysis method suggested by Kempthorne [1]. The significance of GCA and SCA effects was determined at the 0.05 and 0.01 level using the t-test [2]. All characteristics had substantial significant variance due to line x tester effects. The existence of non-additive gene action for days to maturity, head diameter, seed filling, 100 seed weight and seed yield per plant were recorded. The per cent contribution of testers towards total variance was greater than lines for all the characters except plant height. Among the parents, two lines CMS-597 A and CMS-47 A and four testers RHA-1055, EC-601924, R-274 and AKSF-15R were found to be superior general combiners for seed yield per plant and most of the yield contributing traits. On the basis of mean performance, SCA effects of crosses and GCA effects of the parents, the crosses viz., CMS-112 A x AKSF-15R, CMS-148 A x RHA-1055, CMS-597 A x R-856, CMS-47 A x R-274, CMS-597 A x LTRR-341, CMS-112 A x EC-601924 and CMS-597 A x EC-601951-1 recorded high SCA effect with low x high, low x high and high x high GCA status of parents for seed yield per plant.

Programmatic assessment for learning: A programmatically designed assessment for the purpose of learning: AMEE Guide No. 174

Programmatic assessment for learning (PAL) involves programmatically structured collection of assessment data for the purpose of learning. In this guide, we examine and provide recommendations on several aspects: First, we review the evolution that has led to the development of programmatic assessment, providing clarification of some of its terminology. Second, we outline the learning processes that guide the design of PAL, including distributed learning, interleaving, overlearning, and test-enhanced learning. Third, we review the evolving nature of validity and provide insights into validity from a program perspective. Finally, we examine opportunities, challenges, and future directions of assessment in the context of artificial intelligence.

Test-enhanced learning in Neuroanesthesia for the First Year anesthetic residents: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTest enhancing learning (TEL) had shown a significant effect in promoting the learning of many learning contents. However, its effect on the postgraduate medical level was unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of TEL in 1st year anesthesiology residents learning neuroanesthesia.MethodThe residents were randomized to either group A, which was assigned to do the intervention exam (exam A) for two times during learning in neuroanesthesia, or group B, which studied in the same environment without doing the exam. All participants were assigned to do the assessment exam (exam B) at one month after the end of the rotation. All of the exams were ten multiple choice questions (MCQ). Since the anesthesia residents rotated to neuroanesthesia for two weeks twice during the first year, we conducted the experiments twice, using exams that covered both basic science (BS) and clinical science (CS) topics.ResultsThere was no significant difference in mean ± SD of the scores for assessment exams asking about the basic science topic (BS_B) [group A (5.25 ± 2.05) VS group B (4.90 ± 1.80); p = 0.570] and the clinical science topic (CS_B) [group A (6.30 ± 1.26) VS group B (5.95 ± 1.61); p = 0.448].ConclusionThis study showed null findings on the effect of TEL on learning in residents of the first year of anesthesiology. More studies on TEL were required to confirm the effect of TEL and find the appropriate test format that could enhance learning for post-graduate medical trainees.

Nursing students' experiences with test-enhanced learning in teams: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundMany nursing students struggle with the disciplines of biosciences, particularly Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry, which are introduced in the first year. Nursing students' motivation, prior knowledge, and academic performance matter, but teaching methods may also influence students' learning process. Retrieving knowledge through testing has previously proven to enhance learning to a greater extent than time spent on other classroom activities. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore nursing students' experiences with test-enhanced learning as a way of enhancing learning in Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. DesignThe lectures in each topic were followed by testing five days later. The tests were typically multiple-choice tests with short reply-times. The effect was measured in terms of students' self-reported level of satisfaction with test-enhanced learning, and their performance on the final exam in Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. The tests were performed in teams to avoid stressful situations that could negatively affect the students' learning process. ResultsA key achievement from introducing test-enhanced learning in the Anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry course was a perceived higher learning outcome and increased engagement and motivation among the students, resulting in resulting in more students achieving the highest grades (A and B). However, the students' academic results from upper secondary school also seemed to matter for their achievements on the final exam. ConclusionThese results indicated that many students benefited from test-enhanced learning, suggesting that test-enhanced learning can be an important teaching strategy in nursing education, particularly for biosciences.

Delayed feedback could either help or hurt test-enhanced learning; it depends.

Nelson uses mechanisms of memory, Cognitive Load Theory, and Desirable Difficulty Theory to propose a nuanced understanding of Ryan et al’s observations of workplace‐based assessment

Emerging and Future Directions in Test-Enhanced Learning Research

Emerging and Future Directions in Test-Enhanced Learning Research

Large Language Models in Medical Education: Comparing ChatGPT- to Human-Generated Exam Questions.

Creating medical exam questions is time consuming, but well-written questions can be used for test-enhanced learning, which has been shown to have a positive effect on student learning. The automated generation of high-quality questions using large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, would therefore be desirable. However, there are no current studies that compare students' performance on LLM-generated questions to questions developed by humans. The authors compared student performance on questions generated by ChatGPT (LLM questions) with questions created by medical educators (human questions). Two sets of 25 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) were created, each with 5 answer options, 1 of which was correct. The first set of questions was written by an experienced medical educator, and the second set was created by ChatGPT 3.5 after the authors identified learning objectives and extracted some specifications from the human questions. Students answered all questions in random order in a formative paper-and-pencil test that was offered leading up to the final summative neurophysiology exam (summer 2023). For each question, students also indicated whether they thought it had been written by a human or ChatGPT. The final data set consisted of 161 participants and 46 MCQs (25 human and 21 LLM questions). There was no statistically significant difference in item difficulty between the 2 question sets, but discriminatory power was statistically significantly higher in human than LLM questions (mean = .36, standard deviation [SD] = .09 vs mean = .24, SD = .14; P = .001). On average, students identified 57% of question sources (human or LLM) correctly. Future research should replicate the study procedure in other contexts (e.g., other medical subjects, semesters, countries, and languages). In addition, the question of whether LLMs are suitable for generating different question types, such as key feature questions, should be investigated.

Timing's not everything: Immediate and delayed feedback are equally beneficial for performance in formative multiple-choice testing.

Test-enhanced learning (TEL) is an impactful teaching and learning strategy that prioritises active learner engagement through the process of regular testing and reviewing. While it is clear that meaningful feedback optimises the effects of TEL, the ideal timing of this feedback (i.e. immediate or delayed) in a medical education setting is unclear. Forty-one second-year medical students were recruited from the University of Melbourne. Participants were given a multiple-choice question test with a mix of immediate (i.e. post-item) and delayed (i.e. post-item-block) conceptual feedback. Students were then tested on near and far transfer items during an immediate post-test, and at a one-week follow-up. A logistic mixed effects model was used to predict the probability of successful near and far transfer. As expected, participants in our study tended to score lower on far transfer items than they did on near transfer items. In addition, correct initial response on a parent question predicted subsequent correct responding. Contrary to our hypotheses, the feedback timing effect was non-significant-there was no discernible difference between feedback delivered immediately versus delayed feedback. The findings of this study suggest that the timing of feedback delivery (post-item versus post-item-block) does not influence the efficacy of TEL in this medical education setting. We therefore suggest that educators may consider practical factors when determining appropriate TEL feedback timing in their setting.

Interaction between the testing and forward testing effects in the case of Cued-Recall: Implications for Theory, individual difference Studies, and application

Recall from episodic memory has been shown to enhance both memory for the retrieved information (e.g., relative to a restudy control condition; the testing effect, or TE) and memory for different, subsequently studied materials (the forward testing effect, or FTE). Hence, the TE may be subject to an FTE confound when training in a TE experiment involves either testing prior to restudy or when restudied and tested items are randomly mixed. Across two cued-recall TE experiments, we show that (1) a potent FTE confound exists in the test-first but not the mixed training design, (2) there are no other evident learning related interactions between restudied and tested items across three frequently used training phase task orderings, and (3) the predictions of the dual-memory model of test-enhanced learning – which posits that a test trial creates a memory that is separate from the initially encoded study memory, yielding two routes to retrieval for tested items – are held both when there is and is not a confounding FTE. Further, our results yielded no evidence for two accounts of the FTE (the proactive interference and reset of encoding hypotheses) as applied to cued recall but are consistent with two alternative accounts (the strategy change and increasing effort hypotheses). Through distribution analyses we identify a novel and potent FTE individual differences effect that can be accommodated by the latter accounts. Finally, we show that at least three large-n studies exploring individual differences in the TE are confounded by the FTE, compromising conclusions in those papers about the efficacy of the TE across individuals.

Enhancing Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Opioid Use Disorder Among Private Primary Care Clinics: A Quality Improvement Project.

Opioid use disorder (OUD) continues to impact communities worldwide. British Columbia specifically declared a public health emergency in April 2016. It is known that patients with OUD often experience barriers in access to care, including limited knowledge and training among providers, as well as persisting stigma in the medical community. The Doctor of Nursing Practice quality improvement project sought to provide barrier-targeted OUD education while using multiple effective teaching methods, such as test-enhanced learning, to family nurse practitioners (FNPs) working among private primary care clinics to assess the impact on knowledge and attitudes. In review of an experience survey, zero participants had received prior education on OUD (N = 7). The Drug and Drug Problems Perceptions Questionnaire was used to assess attitudes. In review of the data, attitudes before receiving education (Mdn = 74) improved after receiving barrier-targeted education (Mdn = 66), W = 0, p < .05. Knowledge was tested at three time points. After a review of unique identifiers, four participant tests were successfully linked. It was found that knowledge after receiving education (M = 7.75, Mdn = 7.5) improved in comparison with baseline knowledge (M = 6, Mdn = 6) and further improved after a 1-month time frame (M = 8.5, Mdn = 8.5). Although the project was limited by sample size, providing education to FNPs who have not received prior education on OUD, and using modalities such as test-enhanced learning, showed a favorable impact on knowledge and attitudes. In light of the opioid epidemic, nursing leaders must continue to actively engage practicing FNPs and students with OUD education. FNPs are well positioned to be champions in this area and may mobilize teams to overcome barriers among private primary care clinics and increase access to care.

Thrombolytic Effects of Philippine Pit Viper (Trimeresurus flavomaculatus) Venom in Human Blood In Vitro and Ferric Chloride-Induced Cardiac Thrombosis on Swiss Webster Mice In Vivo.

Thrombosis is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Thrombolytic agents are used to reduce this burden. Studies pointed out that certain proteins in the venom of several snake species may have potential thrombolytic properties.Trimeresurus flavomaculatus, known as the Philippine pit viper, is found along damp localities in the Philippines. Venoms of closely related specieshave been shown to exhibit thrombolytic effectsin vitroandin vivo. However, no extensive studies yet have been conducted about the thrombolytic effect ofT. flavomaculatusvenom.Thus, this two-phased study aimed to determine the thrombolytic effect ofT. flavomaculatusvenom on human blood and ferric chloride-inducedcardiac thrombosis in mice. Phase 1 was done using clot lysis method to measure thrombolytic activityin vitro. Venom dilutions of 3:4, 1:2, 2:3, and 1:0, positive control (streptokinase), and negative control (normal saline solution) were inoculated to different samples of human blood. Phase 2 measured the thrombolytic activityin vivo. Ferric chloride-saturatedfilter paper was applied over the cardiac wall for the induction of thrombus formation. Venom dilutions of 1:64, 1:16, 1:4, and 1:1, positive control (streptokinase), and negative control (normal saline solution) were then injected through the dorsal tail vein of mice. After 1 hour, the cardiac tissues were excised for histologic examination. Phase 1 results showed that the venom had significant thrombolytic activityin vitro. Dilutions of 1:0 and 3:4 had no significant differences with streptokinasein vitro. Phase 2 results showed significant lysisin vivoat 1:1, 1:4, and 1:64 venom dilutions. The results indicated thatT. flavomaculatushas a potential thrombolytic activity bothin vitroandin vivo.

Evaluating TESLA-G, a gamified, telegram-delivered, quizzing platform for surgical education in medical students: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

IntroductionOnline multiple-choice question (MCQ) quizzes are popular in medical education due to their ease of access and ability for test-enhanced learning. However, a general lack of motivation among students often...

If we assess, will they learn? Students' perspectives on the complexities of assessment-for-learning.

Assessment can positively influence learning, however designing effective assessment-for-learning interventions has proved challenging. We implemented a mandatory assessment-for-learning system comprising a workplace-based assessment of non-medical expert competencies and a progress test in undergraduate medical education and evaluated its impact. We conducted semi-structured interviews with year-3 and 4 medical students at McGill University to explore how the assessment system had influenced their learning in year 3. We conducted theory-informed thematic analysis of the data. Eleven students participated, revealing that the assessment influenced learning through several mechanisms. Some required little student engagement (i.e., feed-up, test-enhanced learning, looking things up after an exam). Others required substantial engagement (e.g., studying for tests, selecting raters for quality feedback, using feedback). Student engagement was moderated by the perceived credibility of the system and of the costs and benefits of engagement. Credibility was shaped by students' goals-in-context: becoming a good doctor, contributing to the healthcare team, succeeding in assessments. Our assessment system failed to engage students enough to leverage its full potential. We discuss the inherent flaws and external factors that hindered student engagement. Assessment designers should leverage easy-to-control mechanisms to support assessment-for-learning and anticipate significant collaborative work to modify learning cultures.

A Scoping Review of Retrieval Practice (Test-Enhanced Learning) in Nursing Education.

The aim of this study was to determine the status of retrieval practice in original research of nursing education. The science of learning is an emerging interdisciplinary field that offers evidence-based strategies to improve learning. One of the most highly effective strategies is retrieval practice, which involves recalling previously learned information from long-term memory prior to additional study. Searching PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Psych INFO, and ERIC, an interprofessional team followed a formal scoping review framework and utilized the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews to report the findings. The review included 25 research studies, with all but one at the prelicensure level. Quantitative designs were most common, and outcomes reflected objective and subjective measures. If present, terms were varied and inconsistent with supporting research. Documentation of many characteristics was lacking. Retrieval practice is an increasingly common strategy being studied at the prelicensure level. Opportunities for improvement include consistent use of standard terminology, documentation of important characteristics, and more attention to subjective outcomes and to graduate and continuing education levels.

Test-enhanced learning: As easy as (A), (B), (C).

Test-enhanced learning: As easy as (A), (B), (C).

Does testing enhance mediation in paired-associate learning?

ABSTRACT The testing effect (TE) is the finding that testing on previously studied material leads to better long-term retention as compared to restudying that material. Pyc and Rawson (2010) proposed the Mediator Effectiveness Hypothesis (MEH) as an explanation for the TE in paired-associate learning. The MEH states that review testing on cue-target word pairs strengthens semantic/associative mediators, which help participants recall targets to their cues on a later test. Pyc and Rawson found support for the MEH with Swahili-English word pairs and explicit mediation instructions, using the most rigorous means of assessing the MEH (i.e. asking participants to recall both the mediator and target to each cue). Using these procedures with spontaneous mediation conditions and unrelated English word pairs, the results of Experiments 1 and 2 failed to support the MEH. When semantic/associative or phonological mediation was explicitly encouraged in Experiment 3, the MEH was supported only for phonological mediation.

Feedback, fairness, and validity: effects of disclosing and reusing multiple-choice questions in medical schools

ABSTRACT Background Disclosure of items used in multiple-choice-question (MCQ) exams may decrease student anxiety and improve transparency, feedback, and test-enhanced learning but potentially compromises the reliability and fairness of exams if items are eventually reused. Evidence regarding whether disclosure and reuse of test items change item psychometrics is scarce and inconclusive. Methods We retrospectively analysed difficulty and discrimination coefficients of 10,148 MCQ items used between fall 2017 and fall 2019 in a large European medical school in which items were disclosed from fall 2017 onwards. We categorised items as ‘new’; ‘reused, not disclosed’; or ‘reused, disclosed’. For reused items, we calculated the difference from their first ever use, that is, when they were new. Differences between categories and terms were analysed with one-way analyses of variance and independent-samples t tests. Results The proportion of reused, disclosed items grew from 0% to 48.4%; mean difficulty coefficients increased from 0.70 to 0.76; that is, items became easier, P < .001, ηp 2 = 0.011. On average, reused, disclosed items were significantly easier (M = 0.83) than reused, not disclosed items (M = 0.71) and entirely new items (M = 0.66), P < .001, ηp 2 = 0.087. Mean discrimination coefficients increased from 0.21 to 0.23; that is, item became slightly more discriminating, P = .002, ηp 2 = 0.002. Conclusions Disclosing test items provides the opportunity to enhance feedback and transparency in MCQ exams but potentially at the expense of decreased item reliability. Discrimination was positively affected. Our study may help weigh advantages and disadvantages of using previously disclosed items.

The Impact of Depth of Encoding on the Transfer of Test Enhanced Learning.

The mediator effectiveness hypothesis states the benefit of retrieval practice is a consequence of the activation of mediators linking cue and target items during review. Evidence has found that mediators are more effective at prompting recall of target words than words not associated with the original cue, a pattern that is larger following testing than restudy. The benefit of testing for unstudied cues at the final test is referred to as transfer of test-enhanced learning. The current study examined whether the activation of mediators is moderated by the depth of processing completed at encoding. During an initial study of weakly related word pairs (e.g., Mother-CHILD), participants completed an encoding task that directed deep, shallow, or no specific depth of processing. During review, participants restudied the pairs or attempted to recall the target given the original cue (e.g., Mother). On the final test, participants were presented with unstudied cues that were related to either the original cue (mediators, e.g., Father) or the target (target-related cues, e.g., Baby). The results found mediator generation during review to be greatly impaired by shallow processing tasks completed during encoding. In contrast, the effectiveness of target-related cues was not affected by depth of processing tasks.

Impact of test-enhanced learning as a study strategy: An exploratory study with first-year dental students.

Research has demonstrated that learners who practice self-testing have superior long-term retention compared to those rereading the material alone, a phenomenon called test-enhanced learning. This testing effect can be leveraged by spacing out the testing practice over time, a technique called spaced repetition. In 2017, we provided dental students at the school with access to Osmosis, a web-based platform that supports test-enhanced learning and spaced repetition through flashcards. This exploratory study examined students' adoption of self-testing with flashcards and its impact on learning performance in basic sciences. Participants were 143 first-year predoctoral students at a dental school in the US. The platform analytics revealed the number of flashcards students answered throughout the first academic year (2019-2020). Regression analyses examined how self-testing with flashcards impacted students' exam scores in basic sciences. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests examined the difference in students' exam performance among the non, minimal, occasional, and regular flashcard users who answered 0, 1-99, 100-499, and over 500 flashcards, respectively. Students answered 82,766 flashcards during the year. Additionally, they created 17,973 flashcards using the platform's flashcard authoring tool. Regression analyses showed that self-testing with flashcards correlated positively with students' exam performance in anatomy, biochemistry, nutrition, and physiology. ANOVA results revealed a statistically significant difference in students' exam performance in anatomy, biochemistry, and nutrition among the four groups. This study is the first in dental education to examine students' self-testing on the Osmosis platform. Results revealed that there was widespread adoption of self-testing with flashcards. The study provided additional evidence to support the value of self-testing for dental students. It has practical implications of how test-enhanced learning can be incorporated into dental education to support student learning. The study contributed to the test-enhanced learning literature in dental education, an area that has been underexplored.

Application of test-enhanced learning (TEL) in obstetrics and gynecology: a prospective study

ObjectiveClinical reasoning is an essential skill, the foundations of which should be acquired during medical school. Within the format of test-based learning, such examinations can also be used to support the long-term retention of procedural knowledge necessary for clinical reasoning. The aim was to investigate whether repeated exposure to clinical cases in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) with built-in questions leads to higher learning outcome than pure reading cases and what influence the delay between the intervention and the final test has on the retention of the respective content.MethodsIn this non-randomised crossover study, 5th-year medical students (duration of the study is 6 years) taking a 1-week clinical attachment in OBGYN participated in computer-based case seminars in winter term 2020/2021, in which different case histories on gynecological-obstetric diseases were presented. Case content was identical for all groups, but the presentation format (cases with key feature questions vs read-only cases) of individual case vignettes changed weekly. The also intervention was repeated after 2 weeks for each group. Knowledge was assessed in an entry and an exit exam consisting of 40 short-answer questions.ResultsA total of 94 out of 118 eligible students participated in the study (response rate: 79.7%). Learning outcome was significantly higher for items presented in the key feature format compared to items presented as read-only cases (74.2 ± 8.6% vs. 71.0 ± 9.2%; p = 0.017). Furthermore, the analysis showed that the temporal distance of the intervention package from the final examination had no influence on retention.ConclusionThis is the first study to demonstrate an effect of test-enhanced learning on clinical reasoning in the subject of OGBYN. In this cross-over study, repeated testing was more effective than repeated case-based learning alone. Curricular implementation of longitudinal key feature testing can thus improve learning outcomes for OBGYN.