Contributed talk

Speaker: Ellie Blair (Northern Arizona University)

Location and Time: SAS 211, Saturday, 1:45–2:15 PM

Title: Do second attempts improve student success? Is/was there really a "COVID effect"?

Abstract: Do second attempts improve student success? From Fall 2016 to Spring 2018 students were allowed to take two attempts on exams in MAT125, with the higher score being used in grade calculations. Giving two exams was logistically difficult for instructors and the LMC Lab as students were able to take up to 9 exams a semester. Since Spring 2018 students have only been allowed one attempt on each exam.  

Is there really a "COVID effect"? NAU went completely remote after Spring Break March 2020. NAU Flex (student chose to be remote or in person) took place Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. In Fall 2021 students returned to in person classes with no remote option.

While remote or in NAU Flex students would use a lockdown browser for tests but tests were not proctored. They are proctored when in person classes are held.

While remote I had a hunch that exam scores were much higher than they had been and after returning to in person I thought they seemed much lower.

A data driven study gave surprisings answer to these questions.