Optimizing the effectiveness of the 'Read-Recite-Review' study strategy in learning from text

Test taking seems to be an effective and efficient way to consolidate knowledge. However, both teachers and students regard tests primarily as diagnostic instruments and not as learning instruments. Moreover, students think that they learn more from repeated reading than from repeated testing. In this research project, the read-recite-review (3R) strategy, which is a truncated version of Robinson's (1941) SQ3R (survey-question-read-recite-review) strategy, is used to help students take more advantage of self-testing to improve their learning. Although, beneficial effects of this strategy have been found on learning as compared to other popular study strategies like note taking and rereading, from an educational perspective these effects are small. After a week, students who used the 3R study strategy were able to recall only 9% of the idea units from a long text (ca. 875 words). Aim of the experiments in this research project is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of self-testing by means of the 3R strategy through instructional interventions that are easy to apply for students.

Research shows that using the Read-Recite-Review (3R) study strategy - in which self-testing plays a key role - improves learning from text. From an educational perspective, however, this effect is relatively small. Here, three instructional interventions are investigated that might augment the effectiveness of this strategy on learning from text. In three experiments, it is investigated if taking notes during reading, answering non-specific short-answer questions during reciting, and selective reviewing enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the 3R strategy. In a fourth experiment, the most effective self-testing strategy is tested in the classroom.