Comparing assessment methods as predictors of student learning in an undergraduate mathematics course

Abstract

This experiment was designed to determine which assessment method: continuous assessment (in the form of daily in-class quizzes), cumulative assessment (in the form of online homework), or project-based learning, best predicted student learning (dependent upon post-test grades) in an undergraduate mathematics course. Participants included 117 university-level undergraduate freshmen enrolled in a course titled ‘Mathematics for Calculus’. A stepwise regression model was formulated to model the relationship between the predictor variables (the continuous assessment, cumulative assessment, and project scores) versus the outcome variable (the post-test scores). Results indicated that ultimately the continuous assessment scores best predicted students’ post-test scores.