Daily Online Testing in Large Classes: Boosting College Performance while Reducing Achievement Gaps

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dc.creatorPennebaker, James W.en
dc.creatorGosling, Samuel D.en
dc.creatorFerrell, Jason D.en
dc.date.accessioned2014-12-15T17:10:30Zen
dc.date.available2014-12-15T17:10:30Zen
dc.date.issued2013-11-20en
dc.descriptionen
dc.description.abstractAn in-class computer-based system, that included daily online testing, was introduced to two large university classes. We examined subsequent improvements in academic performance and reductions in the achievement gaps between lower- and upper-middle class students in academic performance. Students (N = 901) brought laptop computers to classes and took daily quizzes that provided immediate and personalized feedback. Student performance was compared with the same data for traditional classes taught previously by the same instructors (N = 935). Exam performance was approximately half a letter grade above previous semesters, based on comparisons of identical questions asked from earlier years. Students in the experimental classes performed better in other classes, both in the semester they took the course and in subsequent semester classes. The new system resulted in a 50% reduction in the achievement gap as measured by grades among students of different social classes. These findings suggest that frequent consequential quizzing should be used routinely in large lecture courses to improve performance in class and in other concurrent and subsequent courses.en
dc.description.catalogingnoteE-mail: Pennebaker@mail.utexas.eduen
dc.description.catalogingnotesamg@mail.utexas.eduen
dc.description.departmentPsychologyen
dc.description.sponsorshipPortions of this project were funded by the University of Texas at Austin Course Transformation Program (http://www.utexas.edu/academic/ctp), the Army Research Institute (W5J9CQ-12-C-0043), and the National Science Foundation (NSCC-0904913). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.en
dc.identifier.Filenamejournal.pone.0079774.pdfen
dc.identifier.citationPennebaker JW, Gosling SD, Ferrell JD (2013) Daily Online Testing in Large Classes: Boosting College Performance while Reducing Achievement Gaps. PLoS ONE 8(11): e79774. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079774en
dc.identifier.doiDOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079774en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/27890en
dc.language.isoEnglishen
dc.publisherPLOS Oneen
dc.rightsAdministrative deposit of works to UT Digital Repository: This works author(s) is or was a University faculty member, student or staff member; this article is already available through open access at http://www.plosone.org. The public license is specified as CC-BY: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The library makes the deposit as a matter of fair use (for scholarly, educational, and research purposes), and to preserve the work and further secure public access to the works of the University.en
dc.subjectAutumnen
dc.subjectcollegesen
dc.subjecthuman performanceen
dc.subjectinstructiorsen
dc.subjectlearningen
dc.subjectlecturesen
dc.subjectpsychologyen
dc.subjectSpringen
dc.titleDaily Online Testing in Large Classes: Boosting College Performance while Reducing Achievement Gapsen
dc.typeArticleen

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