Lindsey PrommerFollow

Keywords

SAFMEDS, Instruction, Flash Cards, Learning

Select the category the research project fits.

Social Sciences/Humanities

Is this submission part of ICaP/PW (Introductory Composition at Purdue/Professional Writing)?

No

Abstract

Say-all-fast-minute-each-day-shuffled (SAFMEDS) is a precision teaching method utilized in both instruction and assessment. Existing literature illustrates support for the retrieval hypothesis and the testing effect due to repetition and active learning, thus making SAFMEDS an effective studying strategy. Differing from traditional flashcards, SAFMEDS are based on the concept of saying the vocabulary word aloud with an emphasis on speed. This study’s purpose is to analyze how the repetitive use of SAFMEDS affect test scores. Examining SAFMEDS as instructional devices and assessment tools will give insight into the effects of fluency-based techniques on retention and accuracy. I predicted a positive relationship between SAFMEDS quiz scores and exam scores. There were 173 undergraduates from an Introduction to Cognitive Psychology class at a large midwestern public research university that participated in this study and the participants came from a variety of academic programs. During in-class SAFMEDS timings, students studied for 3-5 minutes and were timed for one minute, attempting to achieve as many correct responses as possible. A partner held up the definition side of the SAFMEDS and the participants said aloud the vocabulary word. Cards were split up between correct, incorrect, and skip. For quizzes, participants were given five minutes to type the 40 vocabulary words next to the definition shown. These repeated SAFMEDS quizzes show the testing effect to varying degrees. As a retrieval practice and instructional tool, SAFMEDS are shown to be an effective study method. They lead to improved performance as compared to flashcards due to their emphasis on fluency rather than accuracy. In the future, I’d like to conduct more research into the impact of SAFMEDS on length of retention.

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SAFMEDS as an Instructional Tool and Assessment

Say-all-fast-minute-each-day-shuffled (SAFMEDS) is a precision teaching method utilized in both instruction and assessment. Existing literature illustrates support for the retrieval hypothesis and the testing effect due to repetition and active learning, thus making SAFMEDS an effective studying strategy. Differing from traditional flashcards, SAFMEDS are based on the concept of saying the vocabulary word aloud with an emphasis on speed. This study’s purpose is to analyze how the repetitive use of SAFMEDS affect test scores. Examining SAFMEDS as instructional devices and assessment tools will give insight into the effects of fluency-based techniques on retention and accuracy. I predicted a positive relationship between SAFMEDS quiz scores and exam scores. There were 173 undergraduates from an Introduction to Cognitive Psychology class at a large midwestern public research university that participated in this study and the participants came from a variety of academic programs. During in-class SAFMEDS timings, students studied for 3-5 minutes and were timed for one minute, attempting to achieve as many correct responses as possible. A partner held up the definition side of the SAFMEDS and the participants said aloud the vocabulary word. Cards were split up between correct, incorrect, and skip. For quizzes, participants were given five minutes to type the 40 vocabulary words next to the definition shown. These repeated SAFMEDS quizzes show the testing effect to varying degrees. As a retrieval practice and instructional tool, SAFMEDS are shown to be an effective study method. They lead to improved performance as compared to flashcards due to their emphasis on fluency rather than accuracy. In the future, I’d like to conduct more research into the impact of SAFMEDS on length of retention.