Theme
7BB Approaches to teaching and learning
Title
Does active participation in a daily quiz (TOPday) improve long-term retention for biomechanics?
Background
Recently, we found that active participation in educational daily quizzes on biomechanics (Two-Opportunities-to-Practise-per-day, TOPday) improved students’ confidence, enthusiasm, and test results1. In this study we investigated the long-term retention of knowledge in students in relation to their participation rate in TOPday.
Summary of Work
In June 2013 and 2014, 180 second-year Biomedical students daily received TOPday on biomechanics, electronically, including rich feedback. Afterwards, we registered how many TOPday questions they completed (0-6 [Group A]; 7-18 [Group B]; 19-24 [Group C]) and if students passed the test on biomechanics [TB]. Six months later, third-year students did a recall-test on biomechanics [TB6], unexpectedly. Statistical analysis was performed on the data of 97 students of whom all information was complete (see details for information on included and excluded students).
Summary of Results
After 6 months, about half of the students who passed TB also passed TB6. In total, 43 students (44%) passed TB6 (Figure below). Of these students, 72% had very actively participated in TOPday [C], 21% had been active [B] and 7% had not actively participated [A], whereas these percentages were 45% [C], 33% [B], and 22% [A], for the 54 students who did not pass TB6. On average, students who had participated very actively (group C) scored significantly better (p<0.01) on TB6 than students from groups A and B (see details).
Conclusion
Students who very actively participated in TOPday [C] scored better than students from groups A and B, indicating that long-term retention was better for students who completed almost all TOP-day questions 6 months earlier.
Take-home Messages
Daily quizzes may, beside other factors like diligence to study, be helpful for long-term retention.
References
1. Tanck E, et al. The effect of a daily quiz (TOPday) on self-confidence, enthusiasm, and test results for biomechanics. Perspect Med Educ. 2014 Jan; 3(1): 4-14.
Acknowledgement
