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A Scoping Review of Retrieval Practice (Test-Enhanced Learning) in Nursing Education
Thomas J Van Hoof1, Catherine M Leary, Valori Banfi
1About the Authors Thomas J. Van Hoof, MD, EdD, FACMQ, is associate professor and director of teaching and learning, School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, and associate professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut. Catherine M. Leary, MSN, RN, RRT, is a DNP student, School of Nursing, University of Connecticut. Valori Banfi, MSLS, is sciences librarian, University of Connecticut. E. Carol Polifroni, EdD, RN, CNE, NEA-BC, ANEF, is a professor, School of Nursing, University of Connecticut. This project was supported by a 2021 National League for Nursing Research in Nursing Education Research Grant. The authors are grateful to Professor Margaret Verkuyl and Drs. Christopher Madan, Carmen Presti, Andrea Sartain, and Megan Sumeracki for their expert consultation on the project and to Dr. Thomas Long for editorial review. For more information, contact Dr. Thomas Van Hoof at tom.vanhoof@uconn.edu .
Aim:
The aim of this study was to determine the status of retrieval practice in original research of nursing education.
Background:
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.
Method:
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.
Results:
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.
Conclusion:
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.
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