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A controlled experiment

21 January, 2016 - 14:46

The controlled experiment compares the effects of using the proposed e-testing application and the effects of using a classical e-testing application. Two groups of students are used for this purpose, each group having 75 master students. These students were asked to prepare themselves for the certification exam in project management, level D, offered by the Romanian Association of Project Management. Information about the participants to our evaluation study is available in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1 Information about the Participants to the Controlled Experiment

Criterion

Students who used CAT to prepare themselves

Students who didn’t use CAT to prepare themselves

Age

Under 25 : 48

Between 25 and 35 : 23

Over 35 : 4

Under 25 : 44

Between 25 and 35 : 24

Over 35 : 7

Previous studies (graduated college)

Technology : 35

Business administration & economics : 32

Others : 8

Technology : 29

Business administration & economics : 30

Other : 16

Hours spent daily in front of a computer

Less than 1 h :0

Between 1 h and 4 h : 27

Between 4 h and 8 h : 42

Over 8 h : 6

Less than 1 h : 1

Between 1 h and 4 h : 33

Between 4 h and 8 h : 40

Over 8 h : 1

 

All the students passed a diagnostic test, with the same set of questions. The test was a pen-and-pencil test. Then, preparation process for the certification exam started: it has lasted for three months. The first group used the formative e-assessment system three times, during the preparation process. The second group (the control group) used a non-formative system, which had no feedback, adaptive features or recommendation mechanisms. The students from the control group had the possibility to use the non-formative e-assessment system for the same number of times: three times. The two groups didn’t know they were using different e-assessment systems. Their results in the preparation process were registered and analyzed. The failure rate was bigger in the controlled group, so the students using the adaptive e-testing were better prepared. Also the students using the adaptive e-assessment system.