Ten plus years professional interest in retrieval practice was reignited when I returned to the English classroom full-time in 2019. A further three years refining my use of testing in the classroom and personalised spaced retrieval beyond it, and all that I learnt along the way, is summarised in “Test-enhanced learning: A practical guide to improving academic outcomes for all students.”
Also available classroom.remembermore.app providing thousands of openly available flashcard decks and remembermore.app a personalised, spaced retrieval app.
Without question, the most efficient schedule [for spaced learning] is an adaptive one, accounting for the learner’s rates of forgetting and prior knowledge.
Latimier et al., (2021: 980)
I am quite in awe of the teachers, researchers and practitioners that have shared their professional endorsements below. Thank you.
Foreword extract
…a superb contribution to the current movement to realise the potential of cognitive science in the classroom.
Teachers becoming experts in testing should be as unremarkable as sculptors being handy with a chisel. Referring to learning as ‘test-enhanced’ would be as redundant as describing a television as being in colour.
Dr Tom Perry – Associate Professor, Education Studies, University of Warwick @TWPerry1
Reviews
Not only has Kristian done the reading, thinking and trialling in his classroom, he’s also spoken to the researchers about their work and motivations. The result is a rich combination of their insights, providing suggestions for educators that they can use to guide their practice. This, in combination with practical case studies from exceptionally thoughtful teachers, brings the research to life.I’ll be coming back to this book time and again!
Sarah Corringham, Associate Dean – Ambition Institute @overpractised
Your book will be essential reading when it comes out Kristian. Draws together so many important current elements of teaching. Bravo 👏 @DrKeithWatson1
A most welcome book for the teacher looking to deepen knowledge and improve their teaching based upon detailed research and written in an engaging and informative style
Dr. Keith Watson, Education consultant & coach @DrKeithWatson1
In its entirety, the book eloquently distils significant amounts of academic research into accessible chapters for the busy teacher wanting to understand more about the science of learning, memory, and testing.
Jon Gilbert – Trust Professional Development Director for The Two Counties Trust @JGProfDev
I’ve been lucky enough to see a sneak preview of Test-enhanced learning. It’s a splendid mixture of informed practice and incredibly in-depth research with key takeaways for the classroom. Very much looking forward to seeing it in print!
Jon Wayth, Med, Head of Upper School, ELIS Murcia, Spain @monsieurwayth
Kristian has weighed, tasted and sampled the complex ingredients within the subject matter. The format in each chapter affords you the option of digesting the content as either a set menu or a mezze in accordance with your bespoke needs and appetite.
Dr Sean Warren @Sean_S_Warren
Test-Enhanced Learning” is illuminating, informative, applicable and actionable for teachers in all aspects of their job.
The image problem of testing is tackled head on, and I challenge anyone after reading, not to be convinced that its primary role is formative; testing is learning.
Dr Kerensa Ogbe, Assistant Head for Teaching & Learning, Clifton College @Biol_DrOg
Kristian Still’s book is comprehensive, personal, analytical, practical, and a positive validation of the impact of integrating and adapting teaching strategies to fit the context in which they are applied. I highly recommend this book and consider it to be a launch of a new era in which context and techniques are intelligently integrated.
Oliver Caviglioli – Former special school head teacher. Now, information designer, creating visual clarity around teaching ideas and processes. @olicav
This book is a fascinating exploration of the testing effect in practice. Finely balancing research and case studies, it will provide food for thought for any teacher or school leader interested in learning more about this important subject.
Kieran Mackle, Teacher, author, host of the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education podcast. @Kieran_M_Ed
Such a thoughtful look at an incredibly important topic of education. As a classroom teacher, I appreciate the deep dive into the research while also its accessibility to the classroom. Test-Enhanced Learning is a text all teachers, no matter their content or level, can benefit from to improve instruction and learning in their classroom.
Blake Harvard, The Effortful Educator, AP Psychology teacher @effortfuleduktr
…accessible to both new and long-time enthusiasts of the science of learning. For a field that has often vilified testing while embracing fads, folk theories, and other foolishness, this book is, if not a miracle, a giant step in the right direction.
Zach Groshell, PhD, Instructional Coach and Teacher, Blogger, Author, Host of the Progressively Incorrect Podcast @MrZachG
In a power-packed compact volume, Kristian Still presents an extraordinarily well-researched guide to support teachers as they practically employ retrieval through quizzes, self-tests, and other memory-stimulating activities.
…a treasure trove of research in a way that educators can digest and readily apply.
Margaret A. Lee, educator, consultant, and co-author of Mindsets for Parents @MegVertebrae