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Send to friendOnline hurdle test of key competencies
Includes first year Chemistry, Earth and Environment, and Physics students
Generic Skill Acquisition, Student Motivation
In the first semester of 2006, the School of Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science (SOCPES) at Flinders University introduced a system of key competency testing in its three main stream first year topics (namely Chemistry 1A, Earth and the Environment 1A and Physics 1A). As part of this introduction, three tutors were employed to help give the tests and more importantly help those students where weaknesses were identified.
The system was quite simple and in summary saw students write a test not on topic material but on the underlying concepts to that material. These concepts were not restricted to say chemistry only but extended to things like maths. In chemistry, there were three tests in the semester depending on the topic and the student had to attain at least 70 % in the tests (80 % in the first one, 70 % in the others) to continue in the topic. If a student failed the test, they were offered help by the tutors both in group drop-in sessions and possibly individual sessions. Students could resit the tests or similar tests to obtain the passing grade. These resits were offered several times in the three weeks following the first sitting and students could use as many of these resits as they wished. If at the end of the resit period a student did not pass the test, he/ she was excluded from sitting the final exam, which in essence meant failing the topic.
It was hoped that by offering the students some extra help during the topic we might have some higher retention rates. The data really do not suggest that this was the case.
The real differences observed in using the key competency system were seen in the final outcomes for the students. While this is a very small sample, it should be remembered that TER scores were much worse in the science faculty in 2006 and hence this improvement is quite a significant improvement in the performance that might have otherwise been expected. The percentage of students failing topics was halved while the percentage getting high grades (DN and HD) doubled.
The system has been used to identify students at risk. There is also a possibility of using the system to identify gifted students in our first year topics. In cases where programs exist for high achievers, these students might be approached to be involved.
Several different approaches have been used during the year and these will be evaluated at the end of the year to assess which method seems to work best. Issues such as exactly what type of skills should be assessed in such a system, how should they be assessed and what level constitutes successful demonstration of these skills are subjects that still need to be examined and considered.
The program will be examined for extension into the entire first year in SOCPES and into second and perhaps even third year. Additionally, we hope to make efforts to evaluate student retention of concepts as they move from first year to second year after going through the system in first year. It is the school's hope that students will now have a better grasp of the basic concepts, retain that grasp and hence be in a position to do better in second year and beyond.
