Traditional exam reviews are passive and face many challenges to prepare students for exams. In this study, we proposed the Tab-Meta Key model, which emphasizes five major factors (time, accountability, big picture, key concepts, and metacognition) and is supported by prior literature. We also designed an exam review based on this model. This exam…

Exam reviews are a common offering within and across courses, often supported by departments, learning centers, and success centers. However, the majority of typical exam review formats follow the lecture or direct-teach format, with instructor-centered re-teaching or problem-solving as the mode of review. In lieu of this traditional and more…

Retrieval practice is a straightforward and effective way to improve student learning, and its efficacy has been demonstrated repeatedly in the laboratory and in the classroom. In the current study, we implemented retrieval practice in the form of daily reviews in the classroom. Students (N = 47) in a cognitive psychology course completed a daily…

Background: Many instructors use trivia-style review games to encourage self-testing, increase student engagement, and promote collaboration. However, most published examples of review games include trivia questions only, rather than activities that incorporate kinesthetic learning. Objective: We evaluate a review activity modeled after the game…

In this article, the author describes an exam review activity in which students answered questions and solved puzzles in order to escape the review session. In a general psychology (100-level) course and research methods in psychology (300-level) course, students solved a series of puzzles and review questions. This format is similar to popular…

This article describes "Give or Take?", a fun game that teachers can use to review vocabulary in the English as a second language or foreign language (ESL/EFL) classroom. This game is easy to prepare, and it is a fun and efficient way to review for quizzes or larger midterm or final exams. It can be adapted to almost any grade level or…

An old comedy routine on Saturday Night Live by Father Guido Sarducci introduced a "Five-Minute University," because five minutes is all that's remembered after graduation anyway. In counterpoint, we discuss "cycling," a teaching method for memory enhancement. Our principal implementation consists of offering a simple version…

This paper outlines how a discrete choice experiment (DCE) can be used to learn more about how students are willing to trade off various features of assignments such as the nature and timing of feedback and the method used to submit assignments. A DCE identifies plausible levels of the key attributes of a good or service and then presents the…

Review quizzes can provide students with feedback and assist in the preparation for in-class tests, but students often do not voluntarily use self-testing resources. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate if taking a mandatory online review quiz alters performance on subsequent in-class tests. During two semesters of a single-semester…

Objective: The NBME Psychiatry Subject Examination (PSE) is used throughout North America to test MS-III end-of-clerkship knowledge; yet, literature on PSE preparatory methods remains sparse. This study assesses the effect of a curriculum intervention on NBME PSE scores. Method: An optional 1.5-hour review session and accompanying…

Introduction: In the framework of the intention-behavior-gap analysis in relation to exam preparation I examined whether intention--subdivided into goal and implementation intention--is influenced directly by the determinants action control, procrastination and examination experience which is consistent with the Theory of Planned Behavior and…

In this article, the author describes a Picture Review Page. A Picture Review Page is a paper with illustrations representing each of the main concepts in a unit. There are also lines for students to write information on each topic. It is a particularly effective review method for three reasons: (1) Students remember better if they have a mental…

More frequent use of properly spaced reviews and tests can dramatically improve classroom learning and retention. Research suggests that spaced repetitions can foster time-on-task, help students develop and sustain positive attitudes toward school and learning, and encourage highly constructive thinking and deeper understanding of the topic. (57…

Evaluated the effectiveness of vocabulary computerized adaptive tests (CATs) with restricted review in a live testing setting involving 242 college students in which special efforts were made to increase test efficiency and reduce the possibility of obtaining positively biased proficiency estimates. Results suggest the efficacy of allowing limited…

Argues that increased student self-assessment accuracy might result in better academic performance by allowing students to modify their exam preparation more realistically. Uses an experiment with practice examinations to demonstrate the causal link between more accurate self-assessment and performance. Notes implications for the construction of…