Multiple studies have shown that testing contributes to learning at all educational levels. In this observational classroom study, we report the use of a learning tool developed for a Genetics and Molecular Biology course at the college level. An interactive set of practice exams that included 136 multiple choice questions (MCQ) or matching…

This study was conducted to examine students' performance in paper-based and online-based tests. In the context of the study, students' performances were considered in the General Physics course between 2014 and 2015 and 2018-2019 academic years. The participants of this study are 417 students of Engineering and Science faculties at a public…

Prior research has established that students often underprepare for midterm examinations yet remain overconfident in their proficiency. Research concerning the testing effect has demonstrated that utilizing testing as a study strategy leads to higher performance and more accurate confidence compared to more common study strategies such as…

Historically, the implementation of research-based assessments (RBAs) has been a driver of educational change within physics and helped motivate adoption of interactive engagement pedagogies. Until recently, RBAs were given to students exclusively on paper and in class; however, this approach has important drawbacks including decentralized data…

We have developed simple data-mining algorithms to assess the consistency and the randomness of student responses to problems consisting of multiple true or false statements. In this paper we describe the algorithms and use them to analyze data from introductory physics courses. We investigate statements that emerge as outliers because the class…

Students often complain about their perceived disconnect between the time and effort spent studying and their subsequent performance on exams. Robert Bjork's research asserts that retrieval of stored information acts as a memory modifier, and that using tests as learning events creates "desirable difficulties that enhance learning."…

Pre- and postcourse assessment has become a very important tool for education research in physics and other areas. The web offers an attractive alternative to in-class paper administration, but concerns about web-based administration include reliability due to changes in medium, student compliance rates, and test security, both question leakage…

Preliminary pilot studies and a field study show how a generalizable conceptual framework calibrated with item response modeling can be used to describe the development of student conceptual understanding in chemistry. ChemQuery is an assessment system that uses a framework of the key ideas in the discipline, called the Perspectives of Chemists,…

Providing fair assessment with timely feedback for students is a difficult task with science laboratory classes containing large numbers of students. Throughout our Faculty, such classes are assessed by short-answer questions (SAQs) centred on principles encountered in the laboratory. We have shown recently that computer-assisted assessment (CAA)…

The goal of this study was to determine if on-line out-of-class quizzing would lead to increases in (a) classroom engagement (b) academic performance and (c) preparation perception of college students. Twenty-four sophomore level students enrolled in a required functional anatomy course participated in this study. Results from this study indicate…

Assessed affects of Computer-Assisted Self-Evaluation (CASE) system of multiple-choice testing. Learning and retention were examined in two equivalent groups of undergraduates. Students (N=34) receiving 24 quizzes with immediate feedback outperformed students (N=30) receiving two midterms with delayed feedback. (Author/DS)