A Quiz Helps Most When It Closes the Learning Loop

A study published on October 26, 2026 examined quizzes and feedback in instructional videos. In a study of 223 secondary school students, quizzes helped mainly on the items students were quizzed about—and especially when incorrect answers were followed by feedback. Quizzing also improved learners’ regulation of their study, but not their ability to monitor what they knew. Read the study.

My takeaway is narrower than “add more quizzes”: a check-in needs a useful next move. For a learning project, try one question about the skill you’re practicing. If the answer exposes a gap, use the feedback to choose one small adjustment for the next session, then review whether it helped.

The study concerns secondary students learning from videos, so applying this to adult routines or other projects is a testable idea—not a result the research establishes. What kind of feedback actually helps you change your next attempt?