Using online quizzes to check and build understanding

Quizzes and low-stakes assessments are not just good for providing teachers with information about how much a student knows and what they still need to learn to inform future planning – they can also help students take advantage of the benefits of ‘retrieval practice’, where recalling things from memory actually helps to strengthen retention of that knowledge. Online quizzing tools will be particularly useful for this while pupils are learning remotely.   What does the research say? Research into the ‘testing effect’ and ‘retrieval practice’ shows that one of the most effective ways to secure material in students’ long-term memory is dedicating time to retrieving the information from memory frequently (for example, see Brown, Roediger and McDaniel, 2014). Given that frequent retrieval practice boosts retention, incorporating frequent, low-stakes or no-stakes testing and quizzing into teaching and learning activities can be really valuable. In this way, tes