Teachers in K-12 education are constantly looking for creative ways to help their students excel in the classroom. From interactive exercises to engaging discussions, diversifying lessons beyond a lecture can go a long way for students in any grade.
In fact, educators are constantly doing their best to fight the Forgetting Curve, which, for many years, has explained that we increasingly forget information as time passes. As a result, several memory-strengthening methods have been developed, like mnemonics and active recall activities.
In the classroom, active recall is an easy method for teachers to support their students’ learning efforts, especially when memorizing useful information that should stand the test of time (and stay with them past a test!). Rapid-fire quizzes at the end of a lesson are one of the techniques for boosting information retention through retrieval practice, where teachers can also assess their students’ immediate understanding of a topic and what needs to be studied further.
These types of quizzes are better suited for foundational information that students should be able to retrieve from memory effortlessly. However, they’re not suited for critical thinking or more analytical testing scenarios, which require more time and analytical thinking. As such, rapid-fire quizzes are the best way to test the retention of key concepts.
Let’s explore the advantages of doing quick testing sessions at the end of class and how teachers can easily create and deploy them through Quizli.
Spark Active Recall For Better Information Retention
Revising is an age-old method for students to study for their exams, reading information time and again in hopes they memorize it in time. However, it hasn’t proven to be as effective as other, more engaging and useful studying practices.
So, what is active recall? This is a memorization technique that retrieves information from the brain rather than inputting it. Students are making an active effort to browse their minds for answers as opposed to letting them get flooded with information. Thankfully, there are many ways to strengthen active recall, starting with retrieval practice.
Retrieval Practice or Active Recall
Retrieval practice is one of the most effective ways to exercise active recall — it tests the brain to extract information learned, strengthening its connections, instead of feeding it more.
For instance, using flashcards to study has been associated with a higher GPA and test scores. Low-stakes testing, where students answer questions without the pressure of grading, also has a positive impact on active recall by boosting long-term memory retention.
As such, rapid-fire quizzes after lessons can help students memorize key concepts they’ve just learned and retain it for valuable settings like a test.
Exercise Spaced Repetition In Intervals After Lessons
Have you tried remembering information at different times of the day to make sure you don’t forget it? This is the magic of spaced repetition! As a result, rapid-fire quizzes are even more effective when students repeat them throughout days and weeks.
Birmingham City University argues that spaced repetition is paramount to strengthen active recall: “Combining active recall techniques with spaced repetition is key. Review the information you’re studying at increasing intervals, for example: the day after your lesson, three days later, then a week after that.” This decreases the chances of forgetting information days after the lesson, encouraging students to scan their memory for the core ideas you’ve taught them.
Over time, this will help you assess the information students have grasped after a rapid-fire quiz and the bits that still need emphasis.
Engage Students and Increase Their Confidence Through a Quick Group Activity
You can do rapid-fire quizzes by simply asking the class a question, or you can make them even more engaging. Having students get together to take these quizzes will strengthen more than just their knowledge: Taking low-stakes tests as a joint effort, similar to a group project, can enhance soft skills like collaboration and even self-confidence.
Imagine this: You group students at the end of class, have them gather around one of their devices, and start asking questions that will pop up on the board. A button will then pop up on their devices, prompting them to answer the question aloud. If they get it right, they get points!
This is how we’ve designed Think Fast! A fun and quick way to boost long-term memory retention through retrieval practice in a group setting.
We’re aware that teachers in K-12 education need more than regular quizzes and tests to gauge students’ learning levels and improve class participation — this is exactly why we developed the short-format rapid-fire Think Fast! feature on Quizli.
Interested in improving your test-building experience with Quizli? Schedule a demo today to get your hands on the Quizli teacher app!
