Presenter: Nakita Ellis, College of Science, Biology
Authors: Emily Heider, Nakita Ellis, Anthony Hefzella, Holly Weigriffe
Faculty Advisor: Emily Heider, College of Science, Chemistry
Institution: Utah Valley University
Use of online homework for general chemistry courses is increasingly common, especially given recent transition to online course platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many ways online homework assignments can be organized to exploit innovations in technology and cognitive research, such as adaptive, spaced, and massed. The aim of this study was to determine if graded metacognitive self-assessment assignments paired with ungraded assigned homework, could result in student content mastery relative to graded online assessments. Using four large-enrollment (>300 student) face-to-face general chemistry classes, an online homework platform was presented in delivery of three different organizational methods and compared to a course in which no online homework was used, but for which students completed weekly study inventory self-assessments with metacognition training. Homework times, scores, standardized final exam scores, course grades and survey results were used to compare the various homework delivery methods. The results indicate that mean final exam scores improve with higher average homework scores, but that longer homework times negatively correlate with exam scores. Additionally, weekly student study self-assessments with metacognition training is as effective as any of the online homework delivery strategies, and results in fewer students withdrawing from the course.