2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Retrieval practice is a more effective strategy for improving long-term learning and future recall compared to passive restudying. This study investigates the impact of a spaced retrieval practice, based on reflection and elaboration tasks, on final exam performance within an undergraduate Laser Technology elective at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Over 10 weekly sessions, in total N = 28 students were provided with six retrieval items via a Learning Management System, requiring them to reflect on important content, provide engineering practice examples, and generate practice questions including sample solutions. Participation was quantified by coding student responses for content-related elaboration, resulting in a participation score (max. 60) that was correlated with final exam raw points (max. 50). Statistical analysis was conducted on n = 20 data pairs from students who participated in both the retrieval tasks and the final exam. A one-tailed Pearson correlation showed no significant association between retrieval practice and exam performance (r=.23, p=.165). According to a power-analysis and the gathered sample size any positive impact with medium to large effect of participation in the retrieval practice on the final exam performance was rejected. Future research will focus on qualitative aspects, including the impact of spaced retrieval on student motivation, belonging, and the reduction of course dropout rates (in this sample 18 %).