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An Online Real-Time Quiz System for Readiness Assessment Testing

Introduction

Readiness assessment tests (RATs) are a simplified formative assessment tool to evaluate the incremental progress of individual learners in a classroom environment. Often times, a RAT is administered to measure the understanding of one or two general concepts from prior course material; it is also used to estimate the preparedness of each learner to move forward with new material in the current course lecture. As a means of individual formative assessment, RATs have shown promise as a feedback tool for learners within a variety of classroom environments.

RAT usage in the classroom was first proposed and investigated by Michaelson et al., who were evaluating individual learning in large courses within a business-related curricula1. Adaptation of the RAT concept within engineering education occurred later, most likely in the early 1990s, where it provided a modern placement of the traditional unannounced quiz into engineering education pedagogy. Since that time, engineering education researchers have shown the effectiveness that RATs may have on learner performance and, more importantly, improved learner understanding of the course material2.

Because RATs are usually paper-based and therefore require grading, the instructor cannot immediately adjust his/her content to the learners’ preparedness, even when classroom discussion is used to evaluate learner understanding. To mitigate this problem, researchers have developed near real-time feedback techniques for RAT scoring. Yost et al. solicited responses to RAT questions on scantron forms and then used a portable scantron reading device in the classroom for grading2. Other researchers have begun to utilize online course management systems such as BlackBoard and WebCT for RAT scoring and other course assessments3,4,5.

In each of the cases above, the RAT feedback results must typically be manipulated to have any type of immediate pedagogical value to both the instructor and the learners. Therefore, to transform the RAT concept into a real-time formative assessment tool, an online real-time quiz system was developed. The real-time quiz system administers the RAT electronically but also provides real-time feedback to the instructor both numerically and graphically in the classroom. Graphical results of the real-time quiz can be used immediately by the instructor to create ‘teachable moments’ that may better facilitate learner understanding of the course material.

Research Objectives

This paper presents the development and implementation of an online real-time quiz system to enhance learner understanding within a large, two-semester freshman engineering course sequence at Texas A&M University. The research objectives for this study can be categorized into two separate domains: technology and instruction.

Several web-based technologies currently exist that may be used to develop an online real- time quiz system. Among these technologies are: web databases, dynamic web pages, and real-

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Peschel, J., & Barroso, L., & Cahill, A., & Morgan, J. (2007, June), An Online Real Time Quiz System For Readiness Assessment Testing Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2396