Abstract
BackgroundStudy motivation and knowledge retention benefit from regular student self-assessments. Inclusion of certainty-based learning (CBL) in computer-assisted formative tests may further enhance this by enabling students to identify whether they are uninformed or misinformed regarding the topics tested, which may trigger future study actions including instructor consultation.MethodsUsing a cross-over study design involving two out of thirteen computer-assisted formative assessments (CAFAs) of a first-year cell biology course, we compared student-instructor interactions, student learning experiences and final exam scores between two (bio)medical science student cohorts who worked with different CBL-containing CAFAs.ResultsA total of 389 students participated in the study. After completion 159 (41%) filled in a questionnaire on their experience with CBL during supervised CAFAs. In the control group the median duration of student-instructor interactions was 90 s (range 60–140 s), and this increased with 20 s to 110 s (range 60–150 s) in the group working with a CBL-based CAFA. The number of interactions was similar in both groups (0.22 per student per hour, regardless of CBL inclusion). Forty percent of the students expected that CBL would positively influence their study behavior, and 23% also anticipated a positive effect on examination scores. Student examination scores, however, were not affected by CBL. Almost half of the students (43%) were in favor of CBL inclusion in future computer-assisted learning modules, whereas 33% did not see merit in including CBL in CAFAs.ConclusionsIncorporation of CBL in a single formative assessment led to a slight increase in student-instructor interaction times, but had effect neither on the number of student-instructor interactions nor on exam scores. CBL inclusion positively influenced student’s appreciation of the coursework, presumably by helping students to evaluate their mastery level and identify misconceptions. A more extensive enrollment of CBL beyond an individual formative assessment, throughout a course or a curriculum, may possibly reveal positive effects on study efficacy.
Highlights
Study motivation and knowledge retention benefit from regular student self-assessments
The full course ended in the fourth week with a final examination that consisted of 88 multiple choice questions, of which five and six separate questions addressed the content of these two modules, computerassisted formative assessment (CAFA) 3 – Chromatin and CAFA 4 – Replication, respectively
Participation To test whether certainty-based learning would provide an added value to computer-assisted formative assessments we introduced CBL questions in two consecutive -- and from a topic and size point of view comparable -CAFA modules in our first-year cell biology course formedical students (Fig. 1)
Summary
Study motivation and knowledge retention benefit from regular student self-assessments. Inclusion of certainty-based learning (CBL) in computer-assisted formative tests may further enhance this by enabling students to identify whether they are uninformed or misinformed regarding the topics tested, which may trigger future study actions including instructor consultation. Provision of self-assessment tools, such as computer-based quizzes (computerassisted formative assessments, CAFAs), contributes to the efficacy and student-appreciation of study programs [1,2,3,4,5, 8,9,10]. Opportunities to identify knowledge gaps and misconceptions, and to benefit from instructor support during supervised CAFA sessions, are missed. We reasoned that student self-assessment will benefit from the inclusion of certainty-based learning (CBL) in CAFAs, by stimulating student-instructor interactions and triggering other actions that enhance study performance
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