Student Exam Creation as a Learning Tool.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between: 1) comprehensiveness of student developed model tests and final exam score, 2) the quality of student developed model tests and answer keys combined, and final exam score, 3) student developed model test similarity to instructor final exam and final exam score. Students in a freshman fluid power class, in Manufacturing Engineering Technology, were given a homework assignment to create a final exam, and the corresponding answer key, over the material that they would be examined over on the final exam given by the professor. Student constructed exams and answer keys were handed in before the actual final exam. Two professors used rubrics to independently evaluate student tests and answer keys, and compare them to the instructor's final exam. Results were correlated with student performance on the final exam. Support was found for the first two hypotheses. Introduction Numerous studies have examined the effects of student developed tests on student performance and motivation with mixed results. Pack (1999) found that although student developed tests did not reduce test anxiety or increase academic achievement, they did help students focus more on learning and less on grade performance. Frase and Schwartz (1975) determined that college students recalled significantly (p Research Method Fifteen students in a freshman, four year Manufacturing Engineering Technology program were given a homework assignment at the end of the semester. They were instructed to create a final exam and the corresponding answer key over the material assigned by the professor. This study was approved by the Human Subjects Review committee (#02112611) at the University. The study was designed to test three research hypotheses. The hypotheses examined whether there is a relationship between: comprehensiveness of student developed model tests and final exam score, the quality of student developed model tests and answer keys and final exam score, similarity between student developed model test and instructor final exam, and final exam score. …