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We carried out 4 semester-long studies of student performance in a college research methods course (total N = 588). Two sections of it were taught each semester with systematic and controlled differences between them. Key manipulations were repeated (with some variation) across the 4 terms, allowing assessment of replicability of effects. Variables studied included frequency of tests (e.g., 2 vs. 8 in-class exams), the repetition of some and not other exam items (i.e., the testing effect), and variation of test items between the in-class exams and the final exam (e.g., identical items vs. controlled changes in items). Some studies also manipulated presence or absence of low-stakes quizzes. The repetition of test items generally led to better performance. However, we did not observe consistent superiority for items that were repeated exactly over those that were repeated in modified form; the reverse was more often the case. The effect of the low-stakes quizzes was minimal at best. Results are discussed in terms of memory and transfer of training models. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
