Test format and learning strategy use

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of test format on the use of learning strategies. Participants (83 eighth-graders) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 classrooms, each of which corresponded to an experimental condition. The participants studied history for 5 sessions; at the end of each session, the teacher gave a test of that day's lecture. The test format varied according to the experimental condition: a cloze test, an essay test without comments by the teacher, or an essay test with comments by the teacher. Those who took the essay tests used more deep-processing strategies and fewer surface-processing strategies than those who took the cloze tests. The results also showed that more notes were taken in the essay-test conditions than in the cloze-test condition. Teacher's comments had little effect on the learning strategy used. Variables like achievement goals were found to moderate the obtained effects. The theoretical and practical value of this research was discussed.