A Transition to Mastery-Based Testing with the Hope of Increasing Student Persistence

ABSTRACT

Evidence shows that to improve student persistence in mathematics, we must change our course design to encourage students to have a growth mindset. By using standards-based grading, students earn grades based on their actual learning, so they are motivated to persist with difficult topics until they achieve understanding. Mastery-based testing has the potential to reduce test anxiety, improve students' confidence in their mathematical ability, reduce grading workload for faculty, and improve content retention.

Keywords:

• Mastery-based testing
• assessment
• growth mindset
• calculus
• precalculus

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jessie Lenarz

Jessie Lenarz has dedicated her career to encouraging students in their love of mathematics. In particular, she has spent the last five years focusing on improving retention of female students in mathematics through the calculus sequence. She is proud of her vast collection of math jokes and inflicts them on her students whenever possible.

Kristine Engel Pelatt

Kristine Engel Pelatt is an algebraic topologist who has spent her entire career curious about why some students give up when faced with a challenging math problem while others keep trying until they understand. She is passionate about increasing the representation of women in mathematics at all levels and designing courses to increase the persistence of her female students. Her favorite part of teaching is the moment when a student realizes that she can solve a problem or understand a concept without the help of her instructor.