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This study investigated the effect of different assessment types on overall success in an online geoscience course covering energy's impact on the environment. Two groups took either the slower 1-credit or the faster 3-credit version of the course, which utilized the same content. Self-assessment questions developed using H5P, quizzes, summative assessment labs, and a capstone project were used to assess students. Independent samples t-test, multiple regression analysis, and repeated measures ANOVA were conducted for data analyses. Quiz success significantly differed between groups. Quiz, capstone, and lab assignment successes were significant positive predictors of overall success. The total frequency of answering H5P questions was a significant positive predictor of quiz and lab assignment successes. Frequencies for answering H5P questions and time spent on H5P questions in each module showed significant differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of our current National Science Foundation (NSF: IUSE Award #1912253) project is the degree to which spaced retrieval practice, as compared to massed, increases performance on an end-of-semester exam in 10 different STEM courses (e.g., engineering, chemistry, biology). This paper presents an intermediate analysis examining the psychometric properties of the retrieval-practice exercises in two specific courses. The critical question is whether the psychometric properties of the exercises differ depending on whether they are spaced or massed. Preliminary results indicate that spacing does not consistently affect reliability of items, but can impact item difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents evidence-based practice applied to course design and delivery, through a study conducted during an in-person undergrudate course exploring several aspects of test delivery. An undergraduate linear algebra course was initially designed to draw on the benefits of the well-documented testing effect, which is characterized by better student learning as a result of frequent testing. A study was conducted over one semester with the goal of assessing objectively whether the addition of a lecture-long informational message about the testing effect delivered by the instructor could enhance overall performance. In addition, the study aimed to investigate an aspect of test design, namely whether the difficulty of the first question (easy vs. hard) would affect the overall performance on the tests. The cohort consisted of 119 students of different STEM areas across a number of sections, all taught by the same instructor. The course included a total of 9 quizzes, 8 of which relevant to the study, each consisting of 3 questions that varied in difficulty; four quizzes started with a hard question and four started with an easy question. The course also included a midterm test and a final exam. The cohort was divided into two counterbalanced groups with one counterbalance receiving the easy question first on odd numbered quizzes and hard questions first on the even numbered quizzes, and with the other counterbalance group experiencing the reverse. All quizzes and exams were delivered at appropriately scheduled times to all students and the same amount of time was given to all students to solve the questions on the quizzes. Critically, one section of the course was chosen to receive an informational message about the testing effect explaining how frequent testing improves performance and encouraging students to use the quizzes as a learning opportunity. For this one section, the informational message was delivered once, after the first quiz (second week in the term). All students received messages of encouragement from the instructor throughout the term. Results showed significantly higher performance on the easy questions than the hard questions indicating the manipulation of question difficulty was successful. However, there was no difference in performance between those participants for whom the quiz started with an easy question than those for whom the quizzes started with a hard question. Notably, grades were higher for the group that received the motivation message than the group that did not receive the message. It is hoped that this promising result can be extended in future experiments, which may include multiple informational messages about the effectiveness of testing throughout the term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that caffeine is only suitable as a fungicide for internal applications due to leaching. However, no one has yet tried which indoor temperatures are the most suitable. For this reason, we tested the effect of selected temperatures (–20 °C, 0 °C, 5 °C, 20 °C, 40 °C) on the retention and color of beech and spruce wood. The wood samples were treated with a caffeine aquatic solution (20 g·L−1) or distilled water (control) and then stored for three months under specific laboratory conditions (dark, selected temperature). The results did not indicate variable caffeine retention in spruce or beech. No effects of various temperatures on the color of both woods were observed. The leaching grade of caffeine from spruce was partially higher for spruce than for beech after three months of storage for all of the tested temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts are being made to add Computational Thinking (CT) to the curriculum of primary schools in order to develop student abilities to use computational tools to solve problems and better prepare them for an increasingly digital society. Distributed Practice (DP) and Retrieval Practice (RP) are evidence-based practices that have shown to lead to efficient and durable learning. Studies investigating Distributed Retrieval Practice (DRP), a combination of the two evidence-based practices, have found positive effects of DRP on university student learning of anatomy and vocabulary items. As CT is considered to be a complex thinking skill, one that is acquired over time with practice, we investigated whether DRP had durable effects on primary student learning of CT concepts. We conducted a quasi-experimental study involving 20 primary school students between 11 and 12 years of age. The students participated in 6 weekly sessions on CT and completed two tests – one at the end of the fifth session (immediate) and the other a week later (delayed). At the end of each of the first 4 sessions, students performed DRP by completing a class-wide review quiz consisting of 5 multiple-choice questions. The results of the study show that students attained higher scores on the delayed test (72.6% ± 19.2) in comparison to the immediate test (67.9% ± 20.7). However, the difference in scores was not significant. The results suggest that DRP may play a role in helping students overcome the natural decay of memory, however, studies with a larger sample size are required. Further, this study demonstrates that DRP can be applied in an authentic classroom environment that involves primary school student learning of a complex subject such as CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]