When administering an in-class exam, a common decision that confronts every instructor is whether the exam format should be closed book or open book. The present review synthesizes research examining the effect of administering closed-book or open-book assessments on long-term learning. Although the overall effect of assessment format on learning…

The examination of the testing mode effect has received increased attention as higher education has shifted to remote testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We believe the testing mode effect consists of four components: the ability to physically write on the test, the method of answer recording, the proctoring/testing environment, and the effect…

Unproctored and teacher-proctored exams have been widely used to prevent cheating at many universities worldwide. However, no empirical studies have directly compared their effectiveness in promoting academic integrity in actual exams. To address this significant gap, in four preregistered field studies, we examined the effectiveness of…

In Flanders, open admission into higher education has led to heterogeneity in academic preparedness of incoming STEM students. Higher education institutions offer low stakes positioning tests to these students in order to help them assess their level of starting competences. Due to the unique nature of these tests, little can be inferred about…

Exams are a form of assessment that is ubiquitous in college STEM classrooms yet is infrequently studied from the experiential perspectives of instructors or students. To better understand the forms, methods, and experiences of college STEM exams, we conducted survey-based research with instructors in anatomy and physiology courses, a well-defined…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to proctor exams after the forced transition to remote teaching and learning. Objective: We evaluated students' experiences creating and answering their own exam items in an upper-level psychology course during the transition to remote teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method:…

This study explored how a private, southeastern college of education (COE) supported students in passing the Praxis II examinations. Using Knowles' (1988) adult learning theory and Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory, the researchers examined students' experiences with various COE-provided resources and their impact on Praxis II scores. A…

This study explored how a private, southeastern college of education (COE) supported students in passing the Praxis II examinations. Using Knowles' (1988) adult learning theory and Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory, the researchers examined students' experiences with various COE-provided resources and their impact on Praxis II scores. A…

Students who experience mathematics anxiety have long been suggested to engage in avoidance behaviors that negatively impact their mathematics performance. However, little is known about how these avoidance behaviors manifest for highly anxious students within the context of a mathematics course. Since the use of effortful study strategies has…

The quality of exams drives test-taking behavior of examinees and is a proxy for the quality of teaching. As most university exams have strict time limits, and speededness is an important measure of the cognitive state of examinees, this might be used to assess the connection between exams' quality and examinees' performance. The practice of…

Purpose: The present study assessed the test-retest reliability of the American Sign Language (ASL) version of the Computerized Revised Token Test (CRTT-ASL) and compared the differences and similarities between ASL and English reading by Deaf and hearing users of ASL. Method: Creation of the CRTT-ASL involved filming, editing, and validating CRTT…

Robert M. Rowan imagines if writing instructors created a tool or method for the writing classroom that helps focus each student's mind on the experience by inviting students to slow down so they can explain, critique, and analyze their work before it is reviewed by their instructors. When the instructors respond, they can have a more fully…

How is it possible to create and continuously improve a quality learning environment for our students? We present our one-year course on engineering thermodynamics as a case study in which we investigate the learning environment based on a competency model from the students' perspective. Based on the analysis of our course structure and exam…

Balancing assessment of learning outcomes with the expectations of students is a perennial challenge in education. Difficult exams, in which many students perform poorly, exacerbate this problem and can inspire a wide variety of interventions, such as a grading curve. However, addressing poor performance can sometimes distort or inflate grades and…

The COVID-19 outbreak has an impact on the provision of education. One of them is the process of online assessment or examination. Difficulties occur during online exams; weak supervision can increase cheating behavior among students. Generally, teachers or lecturers think about how to prevent this behavior. However, what if they are allowed to…