Effect of assessment structure on perceived efficacy in a rocketry course

This study investigates the impact of assessment structure on student performance and engagement in an academic setting, specifically focusing on an introductory rocketry course for undergraduate non-aerospace engineering students. Departing from traditional end-of-course assessments, the research explores whether implementing a 'chunking' approach, a well-known and researched educational strategy that supports more inclusive evaluation, yields distinct outcomes by breaking the final assessment into individual quizzes over the last week. The approach involved comparing two groups of students: one undergoing a traditional cumulative assessment (Group A) and the other experiencing the modified ‘chunking’ assessment structure (Group B). Paired T-tests were employed to compare the results between the two groups. Both groups had similar demographics and scores prior to the assessment. The results reveal that Group B outperformed Group A with on average a 24% increase in final assessment scores. Additionally, Group B exhibited higher levels of engagement with the material during the assessment week. These findings suggest that modifying the assessment structure by dividing the final assessment into multiple portions may reduce cognitive and testing fatigue, leading to improved student performance and increased engagement.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Nguyen, Scott Trong

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rovey, Joshua L

• Assessment Structure
• Chunking
• Cumulative Assessment
• Paired T-tests
• Cognitive Fatigue
• Testing Fatigue

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Scott Nguyen

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127282

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F127282