Have We All Gone Mad? Improving Retrieval Using Precision Teaching
Presented by:
Allison Hatcher, University of Kentucky
Michael Wallace, University of Kentucky
Keywords:
Precision Teaching, Retrieval Practice, STEM-Health
Hear it from the author:
Transcript:
Mad Hatter: “Have I gone mad?” “I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”
You may feel you have gone mad during and/or after your students have completed an assignment. In our case, the Phonetic Mad Minute was an inherited assignment designed to build durable knowledge around the characteristics of the 24 phonemes within the English Language. The original assignment was built around the principles of Precision Teaching, which values rapid and accurate recall of essential foundational knowledge. Yet, students struggled with completing the assignment in the way it was designed. Later in the semester, when students experienced practical application activities, it was clear that many students had NOT reached the desired level of mastery.
If you had an assignment fail to meet your expectations, especially regarding students being able to rapidly and accurately recall foundational knowledge, then the lessons we learned in redesigning the Phonetic Made Minute may help you.
Our mission was to build out a better solution, one that would encourage students to use spaced retrieval practice to increase their mastery of the 24 phonemes. We leveraged the features within our LMS to redesign the structure quiz. The new design allowed phonemes to be randomly ordered, a time-limit for completion, multiple attempts were allowed with a forced delay of 48 hours after a failed attempt, plus the ability to increase their mastery over time by incrementally increasing the performance criteria for subsequent quizzes within the mastery path.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by the results yet realize there are a few more tweaks that can be done to further enhance student learning. Check out the poster for more details and come see us at Lilly!
Key Statement:
Redesigning an assignment, Phonetic Mad Minute, using precision teaching and adaptive learning to improve students’ retrieval-fluency of phonetic features in a speech sound disorders course.
Abstract:
Students often achieve accuracy without developing fluency (combining accuracy and speed) for efficient knowledge retrieval. The “Phonetic Mad Minute” assignment was redesigned in a graduate speech-language pathology course integrating precision teaching, a data-driven method measuring fluency of specific skills, with adaptive learning. Outcomes from two cohorts were compared on accurate and fluent recall of phonetic features. This time-limited adaptive assignment delivered through Canvas LMS promoted fluency and differentiated learning based on individual performance. Results showed improved accuracy and response rates, supporting the effectiveness of combining fluency-based practice with adaptive learning. This framework may be generalizable across disciplines.
Outcomes:
1. Describe precision teaching and how it supports fluency-based learning in higher education.
2. Explain how adaptive learning pathways (e.g., Mastery Paths in Canvas LMS) can be used to differentiate instruction based on student performance.
3. Identify an assignment within your course that would benefit from being redesigned by integrating precision teaching, adaptive learning, and technology to increase students’ efficient knowledge retrieval.
References:
Tan, A. J. Y., Davies, J. L., Nicolson, R. I., & Karaminis, T. (2023). Learning critical thinking skills online: can precision teaching help? Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(3), 1275–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10227-y
Agarwal, P. K., Nunes, L. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2021). Retrieval Practice Consistently Benefits Student Learning: a Systematic Review of Applied Research in Schools and Classrooms. Educational Psychology Review, 33(4), 1409–1453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09595-9
Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266