| In recent years,numerous studies have found that testing what is learned in the same amount of time enhances learning better than repetitive learning,a phenomenon known as the testing effect.In terms of the influence of test format,the experimental results in simple materials tend to be unanimous,that is,the testing effect of initial free recall is better than that of cued recall and recognition,and the testing effect of initial cued recall is better than that of recognition.In complex materials,the testing effect of the three initial test formats,namely,free recall,short-answer questions and multiple-choice questions is still very controversial.Meanwhile,existing studies have shown that the final test format also affects the testing effect,and most of the studies have found that the more difficult final test format leads to better testing effect.On the other hand,language proficiency also determines the testing effect of different test formats to a certain extent,but only a few studies have explored the influence of language proficiency on the testing effect of learners,and there is no conclusion.In addition,the existing theoretical mechanism of testing effect has not been unified in the research of test format,and it lacks operable data.At this point,the measurement of cognitive load may provide data support for the study of the testing effect.In order to further explore the cognitive status of learners of different language proficiency under different test formats and explore the phenomenon behind the testing effect,this study explores the influence of test format on L2 discourse testing effect and the moderating effect of language proficiency on this influence from the perspective of cognitive load.The main research questions are as follows:1.What are the influences of test format upon L2 discourse testing effect and different types of cognitive load?2.What are the influences of language proficiency upon the effects of test format on L2 discourse testing effect and different types of cognitive load?The participants were 191 sophomores majoring in non-English in a University,and they were randomly divided into four groups: restudy(RS)group,free recall(FR)group,short-answer(SA)group,and multiple-choice(MC)group.Before the main experiment began,the experimenter gave the participants corresponding guidance,informing the participants to read the article carefully and that there would be a test later.During the initial learning phase,participants in all groups were asked to read the study material.In the second stage,the RS group was asked to restudy the text;the FR group was asked to freely recall the text that has been learned;the SA group needed to complete the questions on the short-answer test paper;the MC group was required to complete the questions on the multiple-choice test paper.At the completion of this phase,all participants were required to complete a subjective assessment scale of cognitive load.One week later,all participants took the final L2 comprehension test,which included free recall,short-answer questions,and multiple-choice questions.Each stage of the experiment was given the same amount of time,and all participants were required to fill out a questionnaire after completing all the experimental procedures,and two participants were randomly selected for interviews in each experimental group.The results of the study were shown as follows:1.The test format had a significant influence on L2 discourse testing effect.Compared with restudying,the three initial test formats could promote learners’ comprehension and memory of the text,but the learning effect of different test formats varied depending on the final test format.Only when the final test format was free recall characterized by high degree of difficulty,there would be a significant difference between the three test groups(FR group,SA group and MC group),that was,the initial free recall test,which required the most retrieval effort,worked best,followed by the initial short-answer questions,and finally the initial multiple-choice questions.In addition,different initial test formats had no effect on intrinsic cognitive load(ICL),but had significant effects on extraneous cognitive load(ECL)and germane cognitive load(GCL).Although the ECL of the RS group was the lowest,due to its insufficient motivation,the remaining cognitive resources were not effectively used in learning,resulting in the lowest GCL and the worst learning effect in the RS group.Furthermore,the ECL of the FR group was significantly higher than that of the SA group and the MC group,and the ECL of the SA group was significantly higher than that of the MC group.However,when the learner’s cognitive load was not excessive,the FR group invested x more mental effort due to the increase in the difficulty of test format,and its GCL was significantly higher than that of the SA group,resulting in the best overall learning effect in the FR group.2.Language proficiency had a significant influence on L2 discourse testing effect.In terms of final free recall performance,the FR group in the high language proficiency(HLP)group and low language proficiency(LLP)group were significantly better than the other three groups(SA group,MC group and RS group),and the SA group was also significantly better than the RS group,while the performance of the MC group was not significantly higher than that of the RS group in the LLP group.In terms of final short-answer performance,all three test groups(FR group,SA group and MC group)in the HLP group showed the testing effect but there were no significant differences between groups,and three test groups(FR group,SA group and MC group)in the LLP group also showed the testing effect,but the MC group performed significantly better than the other two test groups(FR group and SA group).In terms of the performance of the final multiple-choice questions,none of the three test groups(FR group,SA group and MC group)in the HLP group showed the testing effect,and only the MC group in the LLP group showed the testing effect.Secondly,language proficiency had a significant influence on cognitive load,but there was no interaction between language proficiency and test format.In terms of ICL,due to insufficient schema construction and high element interaction in the LLP group,the ICL of the HLP group was significantly lower than that of the LLP group.In terms of ECL,the HLP group had a lower perception of format difficulty and psychological pressure,so its ECL was significantly lower than that of the LLP group.In terms of GCL,the HLP group invested less cognitive effort because of the reduced difficulty perception,and its GCL was significantly lower than that of the LLP group.This study confirmed that test was indeed an effective learning method compared with restudying,and the three initial test formats could promote learners’ comprehension and memory of the discourse,but the learning effect of different initial test formats varied depending on the final test format.Only when the final test format was free recall characterized by high degree of difficulty,there would be significant differences between different initial test formats,that was,more difficult initial test format always led to better testing effect.Moreover,learners’ language proficiency would have an impact on the test effectiveness of different test formats.For learners with high language proficiency,free recall characterized by higher difficulty could produce better learning results in the case of lower ICL,while for learners with low language proficiency,in the case of higher ICL,the test format of multiple-choice questions with low interactivity often produced better test results than free recall.Therefore,teachers should use different test formats reasonably according to students’ language proficiency,and give full play to the best advantage of the testing effect on the basis of ensuring the initial retrieval success rate. |
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