The effects of enriching instructional videos with retrieval practice on motivation and learning.

Abstract

Retrieval practice is an effective learning strategy in which students have to actively retrieve information from their memory which improves long-term retention. The goal of this study was to investigate if the enrichment of instructional videos with retrieval practice increases the motivation and learning of primary school students, because the effects of retrieval practice on motivation and children is small. Additionally, this study focus on the unique relation of retrieval practice in video-based learning. In total, 95 children from the fifth and sixth grade have studied an instructional video. One group engaged in retrieval practice in-between watching the instructional video, one group engaged in retrieval practice after watching the video, and one group only watched the video three times. After the learning phase, participants completed an immediate and delayed posttest. This study showed that retrieval practice does not influence performance on an immediate posttest, which is in line with previous research. Surprisingly, the results shows no significant effect on performance on the delayed posttest. Besides, participants in the retrieval practice conditions did not have a higher situational interest, which was measured before and after the learning phase, although it is argued that retrieval practice is more engaging than restudying.