Effects of Test Taking on Retention Learning in Technology Education: A Meta-Analysis

Ten factors were examined in this series of eight related experiments. The methods of the studies were similar except for the treatments related to immediate testing. The dependent variable in all of the studies was a delayed retention test that was common to all groups in all of the studies, enabling clear comparisons among the studies. The instructional materials and tests all concerned technical subject matter about “high tech” materials used by NASA and their applications beyond the space program. The tests went beyond mere memorization of facts to also represent levels 2 and 3 of Bloom’s taxonomy: Comprehension and Application. All ten of the factors were found to have some supportive findings, though for two of them the support was merely non- significant trends in each. The remaining 8 factors all had at least one study with a significant supportive finding. No negative findings were present. The ten factors and the findings related to them are discussed fully in the preceding section of this article.