We take an evidence-based
approach to learning.
the testing effect
The "testing effect" is a well-documented phenomenon that occurs during the course of testing, which has been shown to produce greater gains in meaningful learning than other methods of studying such as watching videos, listening to lectures, and re-reading notes. Multiple studies have demonstrated that students who practice testing outperform those who prepare in other ways. Here is a look at some of this work and the science behind them.
The data Is Clear: TrueLearn Works
assessment of general surgery resident study habits and use of the truelearn question bank for [absite] preparation
The American Journal of Surgery®
The American Journal of Surgery reviewed surgical residents' use of the TrueLearn ABSITE SmartBank and compared it to resident's ABSITE performance. The conclusion was as follows,
"If a resident was to complete the entire online [TrueLearn] question bank consisting of 1000 questions, the overall percentage correct and overall percentile on the ABSITE is estimated to increase by 3% and 20% respectively."
Supporting Studies on Learning Science
Practice testing projects memory against stress
Amy M. Smith*, Victoria Floerke, Ayanna K. Thomas
It is widely accepted that stress has a negative impact on memory retrieval. But specific approaches to learning can counteract this effect. Smith et al. found that when memory was tested immediately after the onset of stress, stress effects were reduced. Furthermore, when subjects learned novel material by using a highly effective learning technique involving practice tests, their memory was also protected against the negative effects of stress.
Retrieval practice produces more learning than collaborative studying with concept
Jeffrey D. Karpicke*, Janell R. Blunt
testing promotes long-term learning via stabilizing activation patterns in a large network of brain areas
Attila Keresztes Daniel Kaiser, Gyula Kovács, Mihály Racsmány
testing enhances the transfer of learning
Shana K. Carpenter
Time spent retrieving information – the testing effect – has been shown to increase test performance better than restudying material for the same amount of time (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). Retrieval is most simply defined as a process used to access stored memories. A recent study (Roediger & Butler, 2011) demonstrated that retrieval practice results in better long-term retention and a slower rate of forgetting than simply restudying the material.
This effect is secondary to a differential activation of a number of areas (networks) in the brain that includes the parietal, frontal and insular cortical areas, as well as the thalamus (Keresztes et al, 2013). Memory retrieval appears to couple brain rhythms and oscillations that organize the recruitment of information from various neocortical sites (Kaplan et al, 2014).