title: The effects of test-enhanced learning on long-term retention in AAN annual meeting courses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We measured the long-term retention of knowledge gained through selected American Academy of Neurology annual meeting courses and compared the effects of repeated quizzing (known as test-enhanced learning) and repeated studying on that retention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were recruited from 4 annual meeting courses. All participants took a pretest. This randomized, controlled trial utilized a within-subjects design in which each participant experienced 3 different postcourse activities with each activity performed on different material. Each key information point from the course was randomized in a counterbalanced fashion among participants to one of the 3 activities: repeated short-answer quizzing, repeated studying, and no further exposure to the materials. A final test covering all information points from the course was taken 5.5 months after the course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-five participants across the 4 courses completed the study. Average score on the pretest was 36%. Performance on the final test showed that repeated quizzing led to significantly greater long-term retention relative to both repeated studying (55% vs 46%; t[34] = 3.28, SEM = 0.03, p = 0.01, d = 0.49) and no further exposure (55% vs 44%; t[34] = 3.16, SEM = 0.03, p = 0.01, d = 0.58). Relative to the pretest baseline, repeated quizzing helped participants to retain almost twice as much of the knowledge acquired from the course compared to repeated studying or no further exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whereas annual meeting continuing medical education (CME) courses lead to long-term gains in knowledge, when repeated quizzing is added, retention is significantly increased. CME planners may consider adding repeated quizzing to increase the impact of their courses.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (D.P.L., W.Y.A.), Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, MO; the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (A.C.B.), Duke University, Durham, NC; the Department of Neurology (J.R.C.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver; the Department of Neurology (D.I.F.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas; and the Department of Neurology (M.R.S.), Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA. larsend@neuro.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Douglas P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (D.P.L., W.Y.A.), Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, MO; the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (A.C.B.), Duke University, Durham, NC; the Department of Neurology (J.R.C.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver; the Department of Neurology (D.I.F.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas; and the Department of Neurology (M.R.S.), Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (D.P.L., W.Y.A.), Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, MO; the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (A.C.B.), Duke University, Durham, NC; the Department of Neurology (J.R.C.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver; the Department of Neurology (D.I.F.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas; and the Department of Neurology (M.R.S.), Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Wint Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (D.P.L., W.Y.A.), Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, MO; the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (A.C.B.), Duke University, Durham, NC; the Department of Neurology (J.R.C.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver; the Department of Neurology (D.I.F.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas; and the Department of Neurology (M.R.S.), Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Corboy
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (D.P.L., W.Y.A.), Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, MO; the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (A.C.B.), Duke University, Durham, NC; the Department of Neurology (J.R.C.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver; the Department of Neurology (D.I.F.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas; and the Department of Neurology (M.R.S.), Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Deborah I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Neurology (D.P.L., W.Y.A.), Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, MO; the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience (A.C.B.), Duke University, Durham, NC; the Department of Neurology (J.R.C.), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver; the Department of Neurology (D.I.F.), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas; and the Department of Neurology (M.R.S.), Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sperling
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D009462:Neurology / Q000193:education*; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012955:Societies, Medical; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States