TDNet Discover

The purpose of this quantitative correlational retrospective cohort study was to investigate Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student use of practice quizzes (self-study retrieval practice) and their relationship to academic achievement as a part of selfregulated learning in a foundational science course in the first year of doctoral curriculum. DPT students are adult learners who would benefit from integration of andragogy principles like self-regulation of learning and the provision of valuable learning experiences. Learners may not appreciate the benefits of retrieval practice, so deeper understanding of how they use retrieval practice (RP) as a study habit and how it impacts their academic achievement may drive how to provide them different tools or instruction of how to best use retrieval practice in a course. The sample was 189 DPT students enrolled in a foundational science course in the third quarter of doctoral curriculum at a mid-size United States institution. The use of practice quizzes trace data was collected from a learning management system and correlated to exam grades and course grade. Ninety-five percent of students used at least one quiz, and results indicate a relationship of quiz use to academic achievement that was statistically significant for dosage, number of sessions, and timing. A survey analysis provided insight into how DPT students perceive a positive impact of quiz use on their learning experience. Recommendations for future research include adding a valid self-report questionnaire on self-regulation of learning to capture learner perspective along with quiz use behavior to further validate results.