Retrieval Practice: MCQ's or Open-Ended Questions?

J Wainman - 2022 Retrieval practice involves students re-addressing lesson content that they had learnt some time ago in order to improve their long-term memory retention of the lesson material (Agarwal, 2019; Moreira et al, 2019). Retrieval practice can be used in many different formats and two common methods of delivery are multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions (Weinstein et al, 2018). For multiple-choice questions, students are given some questions on recently learnt lesson material and they need to identify the correct response out of specific options. However, with open-ended retrieval, students are typically given a concept and then will be required to first recall as much as possible. This is then followed by open-ended questions from the class teacher and students will be asked answer this and feedback their ideas to expand their knowledge on the topic (Weinstein et al, 2018).

Weinstein et al. (2018) identified multiple forms of delivery of retrieval practice, such as: multiple-choice questions (MCQ’s), short answer questions, open-ended questions and concept maps. Thus, the basis of this discussion will be to compare the effectiveness of multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions during retrieval practice and the impacts these have on long-term memory recall.

Methods like multiple-choice questions (MCQs) offer practical benefits by quickly assessing factual knowledge and facilitating efficient progress tracking (Gierl et al., 2017; Weinstein et al., 2018). MCQs establish a factual foundation, enabling students to engage in higher-order learning tasks (Brown et al., 2014; Willingham, 2009). Moreover, MCQs ease cognitive load, allowing students to manipulate information more effectively (Van Gog and Sweller, 2015).

However, alternative research suggests that open-ended questions can also enhance long-term recall by fostering deeper processing and meaningful learning (Bjork and Bjork, 2020; Kang et al., 2007). Such challenges promote higher-order learning and facilitate better retention compared to mere factual knowledge (Sheridan and Reingold, 2012). Furthermore, continuous questioning and prompting following short questions have been found to be effective for recall (Smith and Karpicke, 2014).

Conclusion

The effectiveness of different retrieval practice methods remains debated (Weinstein et al., 2018; Agarwal, 2019). While MCQs may support working memory and facilitate higher-order learning, open-ended questions encourage deeper processing and meaningful learning. The choice of method may depend on the desired testing format, as suggested by the transfer appropriate processing framework (TAP) (Franks et al., 2000; Agarwal, 2019). Matching retrieval practice formats to testing conditions may optimize learning outcomes, underscoring the importance of diverse approaches (Agarwal, 2019).