Abstract:
Students are known to have individual learning styles and some have preconceived notions, many of which are misconceptions, of the level of difficulty associated with some college-level subjects, particularly in math and the sciences. Some of those preconceived notions may carry through undergraduate education and into graduate school; thus affecting academic performance. Additionally, the added pressure of demonstrating subject mastery under a specific time limit and without means to verify accuracy during testing can produce at least some anxiety in many students. Given that there are typically higher expectations for graduate students, who have experienced three or more years of college and sought more in-depth study, one might expect that fewer barriers to learning new science and demonstrating learned knowledge through written assessments exist with graduate students. The objective of this study was to evaluate how the removal of potential barriers to test performance(i.e.,restricted time and few supplemental materials) influenced scores on calculation-oriented exams in a graduate-level Soil Physics class. Results indicated that scores on conceptual-based questions did not significantly improve, but that scores on calculationbased questions, where students were expected to apply basic knowledge to solve problems in a context in which they were somewhat unfamiliar, improved greatly when extra time and the use of class notes and the textbook were allowed for an identical make-up exam. Overall, this study suggests that the combination of extra time and the use of class notes and the textbook on a calculation-based, make-up exam resulted in enhanced student learning by promoting refinement of problem-solving and application skills in the absence of limited-time-and limited-resource induced stress.
Keywords:
graduate classes, open notes, calculation exams, evaluating students
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