Study: Taking Tests Actually Helps Students Learn

The New York Times (1/21, Belluck) reports, "Taking a test is not just a passive mechanism for assessing how much people know, according to new research. It actually helps people learn, and it works better than a number of other studying techniques." According to the Times, "The research, published online Thursday in the journal Science, found that students who read a passage, then took a test asking them to recall what they had read, retained about 50 percent more of the information a week later than students who used two other methods. ... Several cognitive scientists and education experts said the results were striking."