Study On The Testing Effect Of L2 Writing Based On Worked Example Learning

In recent years,a large body of studies has confirmed that testing which is of retrieval difficulty is a more effective learning strategy than restudy,known as the testing effect.Worked example,which contains underlying principles or procedural knowledge,is beneficial for learners to acquire problem solving skills.The existing studies have shown that testing is more effective than restudy in low-complexity worked examples.However,the testing effect in high-complexity worked examples is still in dispute.Currently,few studies explore the testing effect with second language(L2)writing tasks.With respect to the retrieval difficulty,whether higher retrieval difficulty(closed-book test)may produce a more significant testing effect than lower retrieval difficulty(open-book test),which remains to be further demonstrated.In addition,the relevant scholars have not paid enough attention to learners’ individual differences,such as the influence of prior knowledge on testing effect.Therefore,to further probe the effectiveness of different learning strategies and the influence of learner’s prior knowledge,this study investigates the testing effect of L2 writing based on worked example learning.The main research questions are as follows:1.Does testing effect occur in L2 writing based on worked example learning?2.How does learner’s prior knowledge influence testing effect in L2 writing based on worked example learning?The participants in the present study were 92 non-English major sophomores from three different classes of a university.The experiment involved three groups: worked example restudy(WR)group,worked example + closed-book test(WC)group,and worked example + open-book test(WO)group.The whole experiment lasted for four weeks.In the first week,all participants took a prior knowledge questionnaire about L2 writing.In the second week,all three groups were required to study a writing worked example,and then they engaged in an initial test,in which different interventions were given to different groups.WR group was asked to continue to study a new writing worked example,WC group was asked to complete a writing test in closed-book condition,and WO group was allowed to refer to the previous worked example while completing a writing test.Finally,in the fourth week,all participants were required to engage in a final writing test and a questionnaire.The results of the study are as follows:1.Compared with restudy,closed-book test produced a reversal testing effect.Firstly,worked examples in the study was of high element interactivity,which inhibited participants’ initial learning outcomes;secondly,the L2 writing test involved recall and transfer,which was a highly challenging cognitive task;thirdly,participants received no feedback in closed-book test condition.These three factors made the retrieval difficulty of closed-book test too high to achieve the effective initial and final retrieval success.However,Open-book test was equipped with a desirable retrieval difficulty and the reference worked example could function as a immediate feedback.That ensured sufficient initial retrieval success and promoted the reconstruction of knowledge,thus testing effect occurring in open-book test.2.Testing effect was not found in closed-book test for low prior knowledge learners,but it emerged in open-book test.The limited cognitive resources of low prior knowledge learners aggravated the retrieval difficulty of closed-book test,while open-book test effectively reduced the extrinsic cognitive load and produced the desirable retrieval difficulty.With the increase of learners’ prior knowledge,the advantage of restudy was enhanced,while that of open-book test diminished.Restudy outperformed closed-book test,but no significant difference existed between restudy and open-book test.Despite learners’ abundant prior knowledge,the retrieval difficulty of closed-book test was still excessive and then the retrieval hurdle occurred,leading to cognitive processing at a shallow level and the failure to strengthen long term memory.But open-book test became easier for high prior knowledge learners,so the positive effect of retrieval difficulty disappeared.In restudy condition,high prior knowledge learners were good at comparing and linking old and new knowledge,which enhanced the association between information,thus benefiting to acquire writing structure.This study found that in L2 writing based on worked example,the traditional closed-book test did not produce any positive effect no matter whether learners’ prior knowledge was low or high.But open-book test produced a significant testing effect,which was especially effective for low knowledge learners.Therefore,in L2 writing instruction,teachers should use worked example and also take the open-book test to optimize writing instruction.Additionally,learners need to take their prior knowledge into full consideration to facilitate the acquisition of writing skills.