What research has
shown us about improving student outcomes.
Over the past 30 years, advancements in the science of learning have led to some well-established principles and evidence-based practices for better outcomes. What we’ve discovered is that strategies like timely feedback, interleaving topics, spaced studying, and retrieval practice are more effective for learning. These practices call for more frequent low-stakes assessments (low- or no-grade testing done as practice) throughout students’ learning journeys.
Key takeaways:
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Research has consistently shown that frequent low-stakes assessments can improve students’ retention and understanding across many disciplines
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Assessments are commonly used as tools to measure learning, but they can also be used to enhance it—instructors can have students activate recall while they learn in class or read a text, rather than only during high-stakes assessments
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This approach enables retrieval practice, a strategy to strengthen memory by recalling information
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As a dynamic courseware platform for active learning, Top Hat makes it easy for educators to incorporate frequent low-stakes assessments in and outside of class
83%
of students agree that Top Hat helped them be successful in their course.
Source: Top Hat Student Survey Spring 2023; n = 4,146
