Undergraduate Research & Scholarships

Tricia Ngoon Humanities and Social Science

The Efficacy of Verbal Retrieval Practice: Implications for Educational Practices

My research is about the efficacy of verbal retrieval practice, the act of verbally explaining or telling someone else about learned material. So much of academics is focused on studying or re-reading material when really, telling or explaining it to someone may be more beneficial for memory and comprehension. Along the lines of the testing effect, in which a student shows better memory for items that were tested as opposed to simply studied, verbal retrieval practice serves as a form of testing that may be in line with Transfer Appropriate Processing. My research will explore quantitatively how much verbal retrieval practice may affect memory more than studying or re-reading alone.

Message To Sponsor

SURF provides me with the opportunity to dive into research without the worry of extracurriculars or class work. As my ultimate goal is to complete graduate school and enter the field of scientific research, SURF is excellent preparation. for graduate level research, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the SURF award.