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Group discussions and test-enhanced learning: individual learning outcomes and personality characteristics
Tova Stenlund1, Fredrik U Jönsson2, Bert Jonsson1
1Department of Psychology, Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden.
Educational Psychology
|April 11, 2017
Summary
Testing, not group discussion, enhances learning outcomes. Feedback did not improve group learning, while high need for cognition (NFC) correlated with better memory retention in this study.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Group discussions are a common educational method.
- The effectiveness of group discussions compared to other learning strategies, like test-enhanced learning, is debated.
- Individual differences, such as need for cognition, may influence learning outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of group discussions versus test-enhanced learning on individual learning outcomes.
- To investigate the impact of feedback on group discussion learning.
- To examine the role of need for cognition (NFC) in learning from group discussions and test-enhanced learning.
Main Methods:
- A between-groups experimental design with 98 participants.
- Comparison of learning outcomes between a group discussion condition and a test-enhanced learning condition.
- Assessment of learning effects with and without feedback provided to discussion groups.
- Measurement of participants' need for cognition (NFC).
Main Results:
- Feedback provided to discussion groups did not significantly affect learning outcomes.
- Test-enhanced learning resulted in superior learning compared to group discussions, irrespective of the retention interval.
- Participants with a higher need for cognition (NFC) demonstrated better memory recall than those with a lower NFC.
- Group discussions were the least effective learning context for individuals with a low NFC.
Conclusions:
- Test-enhanced learning is a more effective strategy than group discussions for improving learning outcomes.
- Feedback may not be a critical factor for enhancing learning within group discussion settings.
- Individual differences, specifically the need for cognition, play a significant role in moderating the effectiveness of different learning strategies.
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