Providing Item Feedback in Computer-Based Tests: Effects of Initial Success and Failure

Wise, Steven L.; Plake, Barbara S.; Pozehl, Bunny; Barnes, Laura Boettcher; Lukin, Leslie E.

doi:10.1177/0013164489492021

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…This behavior might allow appropriate use of time so that easier questions are answered quickly to devote more time for difficult questions. Indeed, it has been reported that examination-related anxiety is significantly reduced where students have the opportunity to skip and later return to more difficult questions (Wise et al, 1989). Such an advantage is not possible in the steeplechase format.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy practical examinations: How does student performance on computerized evaluation compare with the traditional format?

Inuwa

Taranikanti

Al-Rawahy

et al. 2011

Anatomical Sciences Ed

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Practical examinations in anatomy are usually conducted on specimens in the anatomy laboratory (referred to here as the "traditional" method). Recently, we have started to administer similar examinations online using the quiz facility in Moodle™. In this study, we compare student scores between two assessment environments viz. online and traditional environments. We hypothesized that regardless of the examination medium (traditional or online) overall student performance would not be significantly different. For the online medium, radiological images, prosected specimens, and short video clips demonstrating muscle action were first acquired from resources used for teaching during anatomy practical classes. These were optimized for online viewing and then uploaded onto Moodle learning management software. With regards to the traditional format, actual specimens were usually laid out in a circular stream. Identification tags were then attached to specific spots on the specimens and questions asked regarding those identified spots. A cohort of students taking practical examinations in six courses was studied. The courses were divided into three pairs with each pair credit-weight matched. Each pair consisted of a course where the practical examination was conducted online and the other in the traditional format. There was no significant difference in the mean scores within each course pair. In addition, a significant positive correlation between score in traditional and online formats was found. We conclude that mean grades in anatomy practical examination conducted either online or in the traditional format were comparable. These findings should reassure teachers intending to use either format for their practical examinations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy practical examinations: How does student performance on computerized evaluation compare with the traditional format?

Inuwa

Taranikanti

Al-Rawahy

et al. 2011

Anatomical Sciences Ed

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“…3 In contrast, other studies have indicated that immediate feedback is associated with decreases in test anxiety. [19][20][21] In terms of student ability, performance for low-ability students may not be negatively impacted by immediate feedback examinations, whereas feedback may impair performance of high-ability students, 22 this would be difficult to assess in this cohort of students as most would be considered high-ability students based on course performance and their entrance criteria (eg, PCAT and grade point average).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Answer-Until-Correct Examinations to Provide Immediate Feedback to Students in a Pharmacokinetics Course

Persky¹,

Pollack²

2008

Am J Pharm Educ

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Objectives. To implement an answer-until-correct examination format for a pharmacokinetics course and determine whether this format assessed pharmacy students' mastery of the desired learning outcomes as well as a mixed format examination (eg, one with a combination of open-ended and fill-inthe-blank questions). Methods. Students in a core pharmacokinetics course were given 3 examinations in answer-untilcorrect format. The format allowed students multiple attempts at answering each question, with points allocated based on the number of attempts required to correctly answer the question. Examination scores were compared to those of students in the previous year as a control.Results. The grades of students who were given the immediate feedback examination format were equivalent to those of students in the previous year. The students preferred the testing format because it allowed multiple attempts to answer questions and provided immediate feedback. Some students reported increased anxiety because of the new examination format. Discussion. The immediate feedback format assessed students' mastery of course outcomes, provided immediate feedback to encourage deep learning and critical-thinking skills, and was preferred by students over the traditional examination format.

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“…For computer anxiety, previous research has not established whether this variable significantly affects computer test performance. One position in this debate suggests that computer anxiety can significantly affect test performance [16][17][18], while other research examining computer anxiety fails to find this relationship [8,19]. The Vispoel, Rocklin, and Wang study also found similar results for another individual variable, verbal self-concept, which was based on the participants' belief in their ability to perform well on the administered vocabulary test [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

On Test and Computer Anxiety: Test Performance under Cat and Sat Conditions

Shermis

Mzumara

Bublitz

2001

Journal of Educational Computing Research

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This article examines the differences between computer adaptive (CAT) and self-adapted testing (SAT) along with possible differences in feedback conditions and gender. Areas of comparison include measurement precision/ efficiency and student test characteristics. Participants included 623 undergraduates from a large Midwestern university who took math placement tests in a 4 (condition) × 2 (feedback) × 2 (gender) design. The four conditions included: a) CAT; b) SAT-Global; c) SAT-Individual; and d) SAT-Placebo groups. Multivariate Analysis of Variance was used to analyze the data. The perceived control hypothesis was used as a framework to explain the differences between CAT and SAT. Results indicated that measurement efficiency is differentially affected by the type of test condition with the SAT-Global condition performing worse than the others. Moreover, there were significant gender effects with regard to ability, test length, and test anxiety. There was no relative advantage for the inclusion of item feedback. Implications for computerized adaptive testing and areas of future research are discussed. fewer items than traditional fixed-item tests [1]. However, the increased efficiency of computerized testing may come at the cost of higher test anxiety for some examinees [2].As an attempt to give the examinee increased control over the testing situation and thereby reduce test anxiety, self-adapted testing (SAT) is a technique that has met with some success [3,4]. Instead of the computer systematically selecting an item in an attempt to maximize information at the examinee's current ability estimate, SAT lets individuals select items calibrated to a "desired" (relative) difficulty level. Otherwise, the calculation of ability level and estimate precision is carried out as it normally is with CAT. For example, before an individual is presented with an item, he/she is asked how difficult of an item they would prefer. The levels of difficulty can vary, typically ranging from three (easy, medium, hard) up to eight. Using the difficulty range chosen by the individual, the algorithm selects items specifically tailored to the present ability estimate. SAT has been found to lessen the increase in anxiety that occurs with computerized testing [3][4][5].Research has not fully investigated the cause of anxiety reduction in SAT. Three hypotheses were offered by Wise et al. [6]. One possible explanation, the self-monitoring hypothesis, states that SAT allows the examinee access to information beyond which would be available to a traditional computerized testing algorithm (e.g., current affective (emotional) and motivational states) [7]. For example, some examinees begin an examination by feeling apprehensive, anxious, or insecure about their ability. In other cases, examinees may feel quite optimistic and confident in their mastery of the test content. This additional information about affective and motivational states allows the student to tailor the test to their specific psychological states and thus reduce their anxiety....

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Providing Item Feedback in Computer-Based Tests: Effects of Initial Success and Failure

Cited by 20 publications

References 9 publications

Anatomy practical examinations: How does student performance on computerized evaluation compare with the traditional format?

Anatomy practical examinations: How does student performance on computerized evaluation compare with the traditional format?

Using Answer-Until-Correct Examinations to Provide Immediate Feedback to Students in a Pharmacokinetics Course

On Test and Computer Anxiety: Test Performance under Cat and Sat Conditions

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