Comprehensive Final Examination Research Articles

A Robust Examination of Cheating on Unproctored Online Exams

The rapid growth of online education, especially since the pandemic, is presenting educators with numerous challenges. Chief among these is concern about academic dishonesty, especially on unproctored online exams. Students cheating on exams is not a new phenomenon. The topic has been discussed and debated within institutions of higher learning, and significant levels of cheating have been reported in the academic literature for over sixty years. Much of this literature, however, has focused on student behavior in a classroom utilizing proctored, in-class exams. Grades on exams usually determine most of a student’s final grade in a course, and GPAs are used by employers and graduate schools to indicate a student’s subject matter mastery. As more conventional colleges and universities expand their online course offerings it is natural to wonder if academic dishonesty is more prevalent in online classes than in face-to-face classes. In particular, are students more likely to cheat when no one is watching (i.e., on unproctored assessment assignments) than they do when someone is watching (i.e., on proctored assessment assignments)? The purpose of this study is to investigate whether students cheat more on unproctored online exams than they do on proctored in-classroom exams, and if so, is there any pattern to their cheating behavior. Our findings are derived from careful empirical analysis of 741 undergraduate students who completed three unproctored online exams, several collaboration-encouraged assignments, and a proctored in-class comprehensive final exam in the same course with the same instructor. Additionally, we collected demographic and human capital data for every student. Using bivariate and regression analysis, we find significant evidence of more cheating on unproctored online exams than on proctored in-class exams even though students were given stern honor code violation warnings. Moreover, we discover that student cheating increased with each unproctored online exam, implying that students learn how to cheat as they become more familiar with taking online assessment assignments. Finally, we find that students with certain demographic and human capital characteristics tend to cheat more than others. This research strongly supports the use of proctoring for all evaluation assignments in online classes to ensure that grades in these classes properly reflect student aptitude as opposed to merely reflecting their ability to cheat.

Information Development and Student Talent Cultivation of Modern Chinese Language and Literature in the Context of Big Data

Abstract The combination of Chinese language and literature and information technology in the context of big data is an important way to cultivate all-around Chinese language talents. This paper constructs a teaching platform for modern Chinese language and literature based on a big data information fusion algorithm and first establishes a differential equation to express the development capability of Chinese language informatization. The quantitative recursive analysis is used to perform data fusion and teaching ability assessment for the platform, and the data classification is used to collect big data and quantitatively analyze the teaching ability assessment value of the platform, from which the utilization rate of teaching resource distribution is obtained. Finally, according to the feature vector of platform teaching ability assessment, clustering, and integration of index parameters are carried out to realize student talent cultivation and platform informatization development. The results show that the experimental and control groups were set up to teach through this platform for one semester, and the analysis of the students’ comprehensive final exam scores yielded a total average score of 86.8606 for the experimental class, which was significantly greater than the total average score of 81.4418 for the control class, thus indicating that the education system combining modern Chinese language and literature with informatization can enhance students’ talent ability.

Impacts of Changing the Curriculum Design on the Examination Results of Anatomy and Physiology Course.

IntroductionInnovating strategies have become a compulsion in all fields associated with improved outcomes. Similarly, an innovation was introduced in the curriculum design and content to be tested for the Anatomy and Physiology course at the College of Science and Health Professions (COSHP), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), in the spring semester of 2020. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, until the spring semester of 2019, two examinations were conducted as continuous assessments (Midterm I and II), followed by a comprehensive Final examination. In the spring semester of 2020, these examinations were replaced with Block I, II, and III examinations, respectively, with modified content and weightage. The Final examination was comprehensive and included 24 Anatomy, 21 Physiology lectures, and three case-based learning (CBL) sessions, whereas Block III included only eight Anatomy, seven Physiology lectures, and 1 CBL session. Midterm I and II weighed 20% each with a comprehensive examination of 35%, while Block I, II, and III were all 25% each. This study focuses on the impact of the curriculum modifications on the results of written examinations for preprofessional students enrolled at Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Ahsa campuses.MethodsThis retrospective study included data from 2356 male and female students from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Ahsa. Data included Midterm I and II grades and Final examination grades for spring semester 2019 and Block I, II, and III examination grades for spring semester 2021. The results of the spring semester 2021 examinations were compared with the spring semester 2019 examination. The spring semester of 2020 was skipped to avoid the effect of online examinations during the COVID-19 restriction period. Data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS version 23.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA). Coefficient of variation (CV) compared spring semester 2019 and spring semester 2021 examination outcomes. The findings were analyzed concerning data related to gender, student groups, and campuses. An independent t-test of proportion was used to compare the CVs for spring 2019 and 2021.ResultsThe overall comparison showed better results in the spring semester of 2021 (p-value < 0.01). Campus-wise, the results were significantly better for Riyadh (p-value < 0.01). The gender-wise study showed better performance from male students (p-value < 0.01). Concerning campus and gender, the results of male and female students of the Riyadh campus came out to be highly significant (p-value < 0.01).ConclusionsChanging from Midterms to the Block system significantly improved the Block III examination results in spring semester 2021, particularly at the Riyadh campus. Overall, the changes remained helpful to all students. Further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effect of the curriculum changes.

The Use of Collaborative Testing in Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education: A Retrospective Case Report

Background. Collaborative testing involves small groups of students working together through discussion and rationalization to answer test questions. This form of testing has been found to enrich the learning experience, facilitate questioning, discussions, and debate within groups, as well as improve student performance, learning and retention, communication, and teamwork. Despite the many reported benefits, no literature exists on the use of collaborative testing in physical therapist education. Purpose. The purpose of this retrospective case report was to highlight student performance and feedback on a collaborative, comprehensive final exam. Case Description. One cohort of entry-level physical therapist students who had participated in a two-step collaborative final exam were included. Mean values for both the individual and the collaborative exam, percent change between the individual and collaborative exam, as well as student feedback on the benefits and drawbacks were reported. Outcomes. Exam performance increased for all students from the individual exam to the collaborative exam with a mean percent change of 12%. Students reported benefits such as the facilitation of valuable discussions, reinforcement of content, facilitation of critical thinking, insight into test-taking strategy, and reduced stress. Drawbacks included feelings of uncertainty on the accuracy of group discussions and answer selection, the lack of equitable contributions between group members, the time commitment required to take a collaborative exam, and increased stress. Conclusions. Collaborative testing should be considered as an assessment strategy within physical therapist education. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of collaborative assessment, including learning, retention, and critical thinking.

How to Assess the Learning of Executives Enrolled in Your Managerial Communication Course

In this article, I provide you, the instructor of a graduate level communication course, with an example of a take-home comprehensive final exam, which for me has proved to be practicable, and enjoyable for students. I started using this assessment in fall 2013 because students enrolled in our Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program at Prairie View A&M University are seasoned executives, and would find routine lower-level multiple choice questions boring and mundane (See Bloom’s [1956] Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension, application vs. analysis, synthesis and evaluation). Therefore, the 20 questions featured in my take-home final exam, shown in the body of this article, are in-depth, higher-level cognitive questions, designed to assess learning at the synthesis and evaluative judgment levels concerning managerial communication literature. There are 26 items in the reference section, including classic books on management, which are the required readings from the course syllabus, to supplement the two course textbooks: Bell and Martin (2019a) “Managerial communication for organizational development; Bell and Martin (2019b) “Managerial communication for professional development.” Serious executives appreciate reading communication chapters from great books, for example, Barnard (1938); Hall (1971); Katz and Kahn (1966); Simon (1976); Drucker (1973); Mintzberg (1973); Peters and Waterman, (1982); Phillips (1985); Schein (1992); Bennis and Nanus (1985); Brown (1973); Daft, Bettenhausen, and Tyler (1993); Ulrich and Lake (1990); Zuboff (1988); and Deal and Kennedy (1999). Over the years, this type of exam has resulted in a rich learning environment for my students. By-the-way, students learn how to answer the 20 questions throughout an 8-week term, by means of various reading assignments and the Socratic approach.

Low-Stakes Quizzes Improve Learning and Reduce Overconfidence in College Students

Retrieval practice is a straightforward and effective way to improve student learning, and its efficacy has been demonstrated repeatedly in the laboratory and in the classroom. In the current study, we implemented retrieval practice in the form of daily reviews in the classroom. Students (N = 47) in a cognitive psychology course completed a daily review at the beginning of each class. These consisted of 2-4 questions that encouraged students to practice retrieving material covered in lectures from the previous week. Then at the end of the semester, students took a comprehensive final exam consisting of content that was either on a daily review, a unit exam, both or neither. We replicated previous work such that retrieval practice improved memory. Specifically, we found that students performed significantly better on questions whose information had been covered on both a daily review and unit exam. However, student performance did not differ amongst items covered only on a daily review, a unit exam, or on neither. Additionally, we extended previous work and found that students were significantly less overconfident for information covered on both a daily review and unit exam. The current results indicate that retrieval practice helps college students remember material over the course of a semester and also improves their ability to evaluate their own knowledge of the material.

Enhancing engagement of graduate students in class via use of an interactive teaching platform improves learning and long-term retention

Abstract Engagement of students in the classroom has been shown to improve understanding and retention of material. However, the most common teaching format in Graduate, Medical or Dental School is lecturing via powerpoint, which minimally engages students, an issue amplified during the pandemic due to remote teaching. Assessing previous knowledge, predicting/retrieving information, and using academic games are teaching strategies that facilitate more effective learning. We used TopHat, an interactive teaching platform allowing integration of these strategies, to teach a graduate Immunology course. Two cohorts of first-year graduate students were provided with the opportunity to anonymously discuss topics learned during the current or previous sessions, hear different perspectives, and correct what they had not understood during face-to-face or virtual sessions. Only some instructors in the course used the platform. Students who perform overall at a lower level obtained higher exam scores with instructors who used the platform. However, all students received higher scores on comprehensive final exam questions provided by instructors who used the platform, suggesting that engaging graduate students in class helped with long-term retention. Lastly, a student survey about the utility of the platform indicated that a large majority of students felt more engaged, and believed that they were better able to understand the material and retrieve the information both short-term and long-term. This study suggests that using an interactive teaching platform with graduate students resulted in better engagement, improved learning and long-term material retention, and could be easily implemented at any level of Immunology education.

Team-based Learning to Promote the Development of Metacognitive Awareness and Monitoring in Pharmacy Students

Objective. To evaluate the metacognitive abilities of pharmacy students and determine whether introducing the concept along with team-based learning (TBL) enhances metacognition.Methods. Pharmacy students completed a Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) and a low-stakes pretest during the first class that evaluated students' knowledge about the therapeutic concepts that would be taught through TBL. The same questions were administered on the comprehensive final examination for the course. For each of the course assessments, students were asked to indicate their understanding of the topic and predict their performance. Actual performance was measured as a result of each assessment.Results. The pre-MAI composite score was 77.3%. Scores significantly improved by the end of the course to 84.6%. There were significant differences in both declarative knowledge and conditional knowledge when evaluating performance groups. Students in the middle performance group demonstrated the greatest ability to predict their performance on the final examination. Though these were not significant, students in the low group overestimated their performance, while students in the high group underestimated their performance. Baseline grade point average was the only factor predictive of the final examination score and the final course grade.Conclusion. Pedagogies such as TBL may support development of metacognitive skills in pharmacy students. However, intentional guidance provided by an instructor is required to improve pharmacy students' regulation of cognition skills.

The Effects of Online Assignments and Weekly Deadlines on Student Outcomes in a Macroeconomics Course

This study examined how weekly, externally set deadlines affected the completion of adaptive learning assignments and student outcomes in an introductory macroeconomics course. We imposed different deadline schemes for the same adaptive learning assignments in two sections of the course. One section was given flexible deadlines and the other section was given rigid weekly deadlines. We found that weekly deadlines did not affect assignment completions or total points earned on unit exams. We investigated how the adaptive learning assignments affected student retention of material. A measure of staying on pace in the course provided a positive effect on the comprehensive final exam for students with weekly deadlines. The weekly deadlines may not have influenced assignment completions but consistent engagement with the flow of topics through the course increased student knowledge retention. Regardless of deadline type, completions of adaptive learning assignments positively affected outcomes on the unit exams and final exam. JEL Classifications: A20, A22

Novel primary literature-based alternative to comprehensive final examination for undergraduate virology course.

A novel approach is described using primary literature manuscripts for the final examination of an upper level undergraduate course in virology. This innovative technique was applied as an alternative to a core comprehensive final examination. A recent primary literature paper in virology was assigned several weeks before the end of the semester. Students were instructed to procure the electronic version of the manuscript, and to thoroughly read, highlight and outline the manuscript in advance. The examination was administered with an open book format and students were encouraged to bring laptops to access information as needed to answer questions. This primary literature-based examination format is presented here as an alternative to a comprehensive final exam. By comparing student examination scores for both final examination formats over a period of 11 years, it was determined that student performance was strong and not statistically different when compared to conventional comprehensive final examinations. Thus, the examination format described here was a useful assessment tool that provided students with valuable exposure to the discipline specific primary literature. While this article describes an application to an undergraduate virology course, the same examination techniques could be successfully applied to examinations in undergraduate or graduate classes in any areas of biochemistry and molecular biology.

A Transparent Assignment to Encourage Reading for a Flipped Course

This paper describes a reading assignment that resulted in students completing 80-90% of the assigned reading in a content-heavy science course taught in a flipped format. Students reported almost unanimously that the assignment was valuable in helping them learn the material, and a majority reported that other professors should adopt a similar reading assignment strategy. Achievement on the assignment positively correlated with achievement on the comprehensive final exam. The assignment aligned with the principles of the expectancy-value-cost theory of motivation. I will describe the assignment and offer suggestions for improving it for future use.

Collaborative Learning vs. Lecture for Introductory Physics Students: A One-Year Longitudinal Study

A collaborative group-learning classroom was implemented on a trial basis at ETH Zürich in the Spring 2017 semester. Data on conceptual understanding, problem-solving ability, and student feedback were collected from the class and compared to a parallel large lecture class. In addition, a comprehensive Final Exam was given in January 2018 to assess the overall learning achievements of the students in both sections. These comparative data will be presented in order to gauge the effectiveness of the collaborative pedagogical approach.

Revitalization of a Dental Physiology Course Using Active and Online Learning

In the Health Sciences, many programs are undergoing significant revisions to improve student learning. Over the past 5 years, A Dental Physiology course at the University of Louisville has been revitalized to include modern active and online learning strategies. A new learning modality was added each year, and the effectiveness of these strategies was assessed via the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.Year 1: In engaging lectures, also referred to as broken or interactive lectures, students are given short periods of lecture, followed by “breaks” that can consist of minute papers, problem sets, brainstorming sessions, or open discussion. Over 125 active learning modules were developed and the use of engaging lectures led to higher averages on unit exams compared to traditional didactic lectures (8.6% higher, p&lt;.05, n=120). Furthermore, students demonstrated an improved long‐term retention of information via higher scores on the comprehensive final exam (22.9% higher, p&lt;.05).Year 2: Online modules were produced in order to help students review basic physiological concepts prior to lecture. Students exhibited a significant increase in post‐test scores with the use of online review modules (46% increase, p&lt;.0001). Eight videos have been developed with over 1.5 hours of instructional information.Year 3: A YouTube channel was created to provide students with solutions for difficult physiology problems. Using a SmartBoard, problem solutions were recorded in order to help students determine how to appropriately approach problems in a systematic fashion. The channel contains more than 30 videos, with over 400,000 views.Year 4: Team‐based Learning (TBL) modules were implemented into the course. In TBLs, students take a quiz individually and then retake the quiz in small groups, given time to discuss each of the questions. Following this discussion, students then complete another individual quiz over similar content. TBLs improved student scores on the post‐test quizzes (10% increase, p&lt;.05). Five TBLs are now utilized in the course.Year 5: A series of Clinical Scenario videos were created, which showcase the physiological basis of medical emergencies in the dental office. The videos resulted in a significant increase in exam performance on clinical application questions (6.2% increase, p&lt;.05).While each of these pedagogies has been shown to be individually effective, the creation of an extensive teaching toolbox has resulted in significant gains for the course as a whole. The teaching evaluations have been extremely positive and the faculty have received several awards during this time. The results of these studies demonstrate that methodical implementation of modern teaching methods can revitalize existing courses in the Health Sciences and improve student perceptions and comprehension.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Flipping Roles: Exploring the Impact of a Flipped Classroom Method on the Student Success Rate in a Pharmacology Course

There are an estimated 1.05 million job postings across the United States for registered nurses by the year 2022. To answer for this demand, nursing programs across the nation are undertaking quality improvement initiatives to increase student success and graduation rates. Referencing Ausebel’s Assimilation Theory and motivated by the research question: Did the introduction of the active, flipped classroom make a difference in student success rates when compared to the student success rates in the traditional class room in a pharmacology course a retrospective data analysis was performed. The relationship between student success rates in the flipped classroom were compared to the relationship of student success rates in the traditional classroom based on the comprehensive final examination. There were 169 final examination scores extracted for data analysis 90 traditional classroom, 79 flipped classroom examination scores were extracted for data analysis. Independent t-tests were used to compare the means of the final examination scores in the traditional classroom to the means of the final examination scores in the flipped classroom. The findings of the research indicated there was no significant difference between the mean scores of the traditional classroom (M= 81.7, SD= 6.3) and the mean scores in the flipped classroom (M= 80.1, SD= 7.8, t(135)= 1.39, p= .15). Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that the flipped classroom can be utilized as an alternative method of instruction in the course as well as in other courses within the nursing program.

Innovative Strategies for Learning and Teaching of Large Differential Equations Classes

Ordinary Differential Equations I, is one of the core courses for science and engineering majors. Practical problem solving in science and engineering programs require proficiency in mathematics. Improving student performance and retention in mathematics classes requires inventive approaches. At the University of Central Florida (UCF) the Department of Mathematics developed an innovative teaching method that incorporated computers, Canvas (Webcourses@UCF), WileyPlus software, and application sessions in large Ordinary Differential Equations I classes. Introduction of new technology, in-class problem solving and application (or discussion) sessions are important factors in the enhancement of students’ deep understanding of mathematics. We will detail various components of the course (online homework sets, application sessions and projects, in-class tests, and comprehensive final exam) and discuss how we obtained optimal results enhancing the traditional teaching techniques. Also, how to obtain optimal results without sacrificing the traditional teaching techniques will be brought out. We hope that the details of our experiences and the lessons we learned along the way will be helpful to others who are struggling with the same issues. Also, we provide solutions for quality education and the student-growth. Furthermore, this technique can be used to teach large classes in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Retrieval practice in the form of online homework improved information retention more when spaced 5 days rather than 1 day after class in two physiology courses.

Studies have shown that practicing temporally spaced retrieval of previously learned information via formal assessments increases student retention of the information. Our objective was to determine the impact of online homework administered as a first retrieval practice 1 or 5 days after introduction of physiology topics on long-term information retention. Students in two undergraduate courses, Anatomy and Physiology (ASCI 240) and Animal Physiological Systems (ASCI 340), were presented with information on a specific physiological system during each weekly laboratory and then completed an online homework assignment either 1 or 5 days later. Information retention was assessed via an in-class quiz the following week and by a comprehensive final exam at semester's end (4-13 wk later). Performance on homework assignments was generally similar between groups for both courses. Information retention at 1 wk did not differ due to timing of homework in either course. In both courses, however, students who received homework 5 days after class performed better on final exam questions relevant to that week's topic compared with their day 1 counterparts. These findings indicate that the longer period between introducing physiology information in class and assigning the first retrieval practice was more beneficial to long-term information retention than the shorter period, despite seemingly equivalent benefits in the shorter term. Since information is typically forgotten over time, we speculate that the longer interval necessitates greater retrieval effort in much the same way as built-in desirable difficulties, thus allowing for stronger conceptual connections and deeper comprehension.

Increasing URM Undergraduate Student Success through Assessment-Driven Interventions: A Multiyear Study Using Freshman-Level General Biology as a Model System.

Xavier University of Louisiana leads the nation in awarding BS degrees in the biological sciences to African-American students. In this multiyear study with ∼5500 participants, data-driven interventions were adopted to improve student academic performance in a freshman-level general biology course. The three hour-long exams were common and administered concurrently to all students. New exam questions were developed using Bloom's taxonomy, and exam results were analyzed statistically with validated assessment tools. All but the comprehensive final exam were returned to students for self-evaluation and remediation. Among other approaches, course rigor was monitored by using an identical set of 60 questions on the final exam across 10 semesters. Analysis of the identical sets of 60 final exam questions revealed that overall averages increased from 72.9% (2010) to 83.5% (2015). Regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between high-risk students and their averages on the 60 questions. Additional analysis demonstrated statistically significant improvements for at least one letter grade from midterm to final and a 20% increase in the course pass rates over time, also for the high-risk population. These results support the hypothesis that our data-driven interventions and assessment techniques are successful in improving student retention, particularly for our academically at-risk students.

Assessment of computer-mediated module intervention in a pharmacy calculations course

Computer module intervention is the process of exposing students to a series of discrete exercises for the purpose of strengthening students’ familiarity with conceptual material. The method has been suggested as a remedy to student under-preparedness. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of module intervention in improving and equalizing students’ module assessment and comprehensive final exam grade outcomes in a pharmacy calculations course. Pharmacy students encountered computer module exercises in a self-directed manner. Computer module and grade data were analyzed with respect to academic preparation and class cohort. Computer module scoring performance did not differ among students with respect to academic preparation. A difference in course final exam outcome was observed with respect to class cohort despite the use of module intervention. Despite similar performance on computer module exercises regardless of student academic background, computer module intervention did not result in an equalization of comprehensive final examination outcomes in pharmacy calculations. Consideration of instructional organization and potential constraints to self-directed learning are important to maximizing performance outcomes when using technology enhanced active learning methods.

Improved student outcomes in a flipped statistics course

Statistics is a required competency in numerous college majors, but students frequently approach the topic with anxiety. This paper describes an undergraduate statistics course that was “flipped,” with most of the content delivery moved online and class time devoted to application and practice. Students were given a menu of learning tools from which to choose and were free to utilize as many or as few as they felt was appropriate, giving them ownership of their learning experience and the opportunity to tailor the course to their personal needs. The classroom experience included brief segments of lecture but consisted primarily of exercises and peer-facilitation. Course grading was based solely on four exams, a comprehensive final exam, and a major end-of-course project. Student response to the format was somewhat bimodal. Comprehensive final exam grades were significantly higher (an average of almost one full letter grade), and course pass rates rose using the flipped course format.

Embracing Your Inner “Guide on the Side”: Using Neuroscience to Shift the Focus from Teaching to Learning

This article explores the effect of incorporating the precepts of neuroscience in a social constructivist theory of learning on student performance in an introductory course in marketing. The authors delivered the pilot class in a flipped format because it facilitates including the neuroscience considerations of dual coding, working memory, activation of prior knowledge, and practice into the course design. The data indicate that those in the pilot class significantly outperformed those in the traditional 3-hr lecture format class on the comprehensive final examination. The authors conclude that it is paying attention to neuroscience in the design of the pilot course that contributes to the successful performance of the students.