Metadata
Authors: J. B. Collins, Amanda Harsy, Jarod Hart, Katie Anne Haymaker, Alyssa Marie (Armstrong) Hoofnagle, Mike Kuyper Janssen, Jessica Stewart Kelly, Austin Tyler Mohr, Jessica OShaughnessy ∙ Year: 2019 ∙ DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2018.1488317 ∙ URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2018.1488317
Abstract
Mastery-based testing is an assessment scheme that challenges students to provide complete solutions to problems derived from clear course concepts. Students are allowed multiple attempts to demonstrate mastery, which helps create a classroom environment where students value persistence toward thorough understanding. In this paper, we describe in detail the benefits and implementation of mastery-based testing in college mathematics courses. We also summarize student response data that show positive reactions to this testing method.
Highlights
“A traditional exam structure is high-stakes: if a student does not demonstrate mastery of the content assessed on a given midterm, the student is usually stuck with that grade, regardless of whether or not the student eventually understands the relevant material.” (B. Collins et al., 2019, p. 3)
“The use of mastery-based exams adds value to the time invested by instructors related to office hours and grading.” (B. Collins et al., 2019, p. 11)