Mastery of learning - does it make a difference to students’ online engagement and performance in a first-year statistics unit?

Abstract

A large enrolment introductory statistical unit was developed within a Mastery Learning educational philosophy framework. The method states that students must demonstrate mastery of a concept before moving on to the next topic. The unit captures this by an online Learning Management System statistical quizzes structure, with random seed-generated questions in R and practice quizzes before the real one, where students need to max out scores to move on to more advanced tests. The focus is on individualised learning, and students progress through the material at their own pace. We study results across several semesters, relationships between various attempts, scores, final marks, and the online engagements of students in the unit, including time spent watching pre-recorded lecture notes. We identify elements in the assessments and rules around re-taking failed or missed quizzes that we can change. The result tells us the design’s strengths and weaknesses throughout several sessions.