Large-scale educational assessments are sometimes considered low-stakes, increasing the possibility of confounding true performance level with low motivation. These concerns are amplified in remote testing conditions. To remove the effects of low effort levels in responses observed in remote low-stakes testing, several motivation filtering methods…

Background: Retrieval practice promotes retention of learned information more than restudying the information. However, benefits of multiple-choice testing over restudying in real-world educational contexts and the role of practically relevant moderators such as feedback and learners' ability to retrieve tested content from memory (i.e.,…

In the Attentional Boost Effect (ABE), words or images encoded with to-be-detected target squares are later recognized better than words or images encoded with to-be-ignored distractor squares. The present study sought to determine whether the ABE enhanced the encoding of the item-specific and relational properties of the studied words by using…

This article presents a simple, cognitive theory of science and learning. The first section of the paper develops the theory's two main propositions: (i) A wide range of scientific activities rely heavily on one type of reasoning, hypothetical thinking, and (ii) This type of reasoning is also useful to students for learning science content. The…

At present, research on computational thinking in universities is gaining interest, and more attention is being paid to the cultivation and teaching of computational thinking. However, there is a lack of computational thinking assessment tools for college students, which makes it difficult to understand the current status and development of their…

In tertiary mathematics courses, students often have difficulties acquiring an understanding of the mathematical concepts covered. One approach to address this problem is to implement so-called Concept-Tests. These are multiple-choice questions whose distractors represent common problems and misconceptions related to the concepts. While there…

This research utilizes a unique, validated, multiple-choice exam design that allows researchers to observe and measure the degree to which students copy answers from their peers. Using data collected from the exam, this study investigates whether asking students to sign an honor code at the start of the exam reduced instances of cheating relative…

As access to higher education increases, it is important to monitor students with special needs to facilitate the provision of appropriate resources and support. Although metrics such as the "reading readiness" ACT (formerly American College Testing) of provide insight into how many students may need such resources, they do not specify…

Typical approaches to test and item development are rooted in the "Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing." Culturally responsive and antiracist assessment practices are two new processes that challenge the typical process noted in the "Standards," incorporating critical race theory and cultural responsiveness into…

The multiple-choice section of the final examination for the first-year Advanced Physics I course at the University of Newcastle, Australia between 2010 and 2018 was investigated for gender bias. A Mantel-Haenszel analysis revealed that approximately 20% of the multiple-choice questions exhibited statistically significant gender bias. A schema for…

Low-stakes test performance commonly reflects examinee ability and effort. Examinees exhibiting low effort may be identified through rapid guessing behavior throughout an assessment. There has been a plethora of methods proposed to adjust scores once rapid guesses have been identified, but these have been plagued by strong assumptions or the…

Engaging students in creating high-quality novel content, such as educational resources, promotes deep and higher-order learning. However, students often lack the necessary training or knowledge to produce such content. To address this gap, this paper explores the potential of incorporating generative AI (GenAI) to review students' work and…

The benefits of practice testing for long-term learning are well established in many contexts. However, little is known about learner characteristics that might moderate its effectiveness. The effects of practice tests might depend on individual prerequisites for learning, especially in real-world educational settings. We explored whether the…

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…

The aim of this study is to examine whether a preference for specific assessment methods in higher education is associated with personality and character strengths. Two-hundred and seventy Portuguese students completed a survey of character strengths, a Big Five personality test and their preference for each of six higher education assessment…