Year: 1999
Type: article
Abstract: The computer managed learning (CML) system in use at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia is a mainframe-based computer testing system run through a central testing laboratory.Each year approximately 30,000 student tests are generated and marked by the system.Multiple choice questions are used almost exclusively although the system is capable of supporting a selection of question types.Most lecturers use the CML tests as one component of the unit assessment.Although the CML system is used mainly for summative assessment it has features that enable its use for formative assessment.One approach is to allow students to perform practice tests which do not contribute marks to their final assessment.Students can receive immediate feedback about their performance and so can test their knowledge about the topic and be shown where they need to improve.Of those lecturers who use the practice test facility, most allow a single practice test before the first assessed test.This paper summaries several studies demonstrating that those students who perform a practice test score higher marks on the subsequent assessed test.This effect is seen for students from a number of different subject disciplines.Further, the data do not suggest that this effect is due only to students becoming more familiar with the CML system, nor to the possibility that it is the more able students who choose a practice test.The findings seem to suggest that using the CML system as a formative assessment tool improves student performance on summative assessments. How CML WorksComputer managed learning (CML) systems are software packages with several common functions, including generating tests from banks of questions, marking the tests generated, analyzing the results and keeping records of students' marks and progress.They have a template or a coursemap where the parameters used to generate any test are stored.The tests generated using the CML system provide feedback relating both to student performance and the effectiveness of individual questions in the bank, hence the information can be used for either formative or summative purposes.Most systems are able to generate tests that use multiple-choice, true-false, short answer, matching, calculation and assignment questions.They usually have the ability to mark all except the assignment questions, although the short answer questions are often quite restrictive.
Authors: Leith Sly, Léonie J. Rennie
Institution: Curtin University
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W179827356