Student engagement using multiple-attempt ‘Weekly Participation Task’ quizzes with undergraduate nursing students

Abstract

BackgroundStudent engagement is essential to quality learning. Regular formative assessment tasks can support positive student engagement attitudes and behaviours towards learning. ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the relationships of regular, recurrent delivery of online quizzes in promoting student engagement and academic performance. DesignConcurrent exploratory mixed-method design. SettingA large metropolitan university in Western Sydney. ParticipantsData from 1037 final-year undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a core theoretical unit related to palliative nursing. MethodA series of new Weekly Participation Task (WPT), consisting of multiple online quizzes was embedded into the unit. Administrative data, including data retrieved from the learning analytics, was used for quantitative data analysis. Qualitative data were retrieved from open-ended questions within the institutional Student Feedback on Unit survey. ResultsEach student's overall mean number of attempts was 4.6, achieving a mean quiz score of 97.6%. Students with high quiz attempts were more likely to also had high tutorial attendance (AOR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.05 to 1.90), achieved maximum quizzes scores (AOR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.26 to 2.51), but interestingly, lower grade point average (AOR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.28 to 2.35). The WPT received 111 (26%) positive comments in students' open-ended responses, and all three (behavioural, emotional and cognitive) student engagement dimensions were evident as students' sources of satisfaction. ConclusionsThe WPTs are a successful formative assessment task that supports student engagement across all three dimensions, and contributes significantly to reducing student stress and increasing preparedness for and participation in face-to-face tutorial sessions.