Evidence shows that to improve student persistence in mathematics, we must change our course design to encourage students to have a growth mindset. By using standards-based grading, students earn grades based on their actual learning, so they are motivated to persist with difficult topics until they achieve understanding. Mastery-based testing has…

Math courses graded on homework, tests, and a final examination can result in students putting together enough partial credit to pass the class without gaining a reasonable mastery of the course content. Mastery-based testing can help to address this by allowing the instructor to align course grades with mastery of the learning objectives for the…

Mastery-based testing is an assessment scheme that challenges students to provide complete solutions to problems derived from clear course concepts. Students are allowed multiple attempts to demonstrate mastery, which helps create a classroom environment where students value persistence toward thorough understanding. In this paper, we describe in…

This paper gives a blueprint for reacting to the various issues that an instructor will face in their day-to-day life as the manager of a Mastery-Based Testing (MBT) classroom. For example, I created a rubric to compare traditional testing with MBT, adapted my office hours to accommodate more retake opportunities, and required effort between…

As educators, it is important for us to recognize that our assessment methods affect student attitudes. If we want students to learn from their mistakes and counteract a fixed-mindset of learning, perhaps we should look at what we incentivize in the classroom. Some professors are attempting to counteract math and test anxiety, poor STEM retention,…

Mastery-grading techniques such as mastery-based grading, specifications grading, and standards-based grading are assessment techniques professors are implementing in order to support a growth mindset of learning, decrease test anxiety, and help students develop a deeper understanding of course objectives. In this paper, we provide an analysis of…