Development and analysis of students’ use of online revision quizzes in GEES teaching

Abstract

Abstract Revision Quizzes (RQ) in the Blackboard (Bb) Virtual Learning Environment have been used to support student learning in Outdoor Education (OE) programmes at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) since 2003. Now several OE Bb modules are populated with revision quizzes which students use for formative assessment. There has been a gradual move towards including summative online tests (SOTs) as part of the range of final summative module assessment tasks (usually as a partial replacement for, or a supplement to, written examinations, thereby increasing the assessment diversity for students). In this project, ten-minute RQs were developed for 16 topics taught in a first year (Level 4) Introductory Earth Science and Climatology module at LJMU. These RQs were made available to students in Blackboard (Bb) from the start of the module. Data exported from Bb Grade Centre show an increase in RQ activity leading up to two SOTs 28 and 90 days into the module, with activity peaking the day before both SOTS. Eighty two percent of students enrolled on the module engaged with the RQs, each student attempting an average of 20 RQs (or 1.25 attempts per RQ). One student made 222 RQ attempts. Pearson correlation coefficients calculated for RQ attempts and mean score (RQ mean) vs. performance in selected module assessment tasks showed the RQ mean to be highly correlated with SOT scores, written exam paper scores and final module totals. The number of attempts at RQs is not as useful a predictor of students’ performance as the mean RQ score. However, when compared with lecture/field trip attendance, neither of the RQ measures were as good at predicting students’ performance. Students’ comments recorded during focus group discussions described how students used the RQs in their independent study in a variety of different ways which suited their own study habits, revealed their lack of previous experience of being tested in this way, showed how they were able to work at their own pace and demonstrated how they seemed to gain confidence from taking the RQs ‘again and again’. Using RQs in their independent study not only helped performance in the SOTs but helped performance in a written examination and across the module as a whole.