Flexible electronic feedback using the virtues of progress testing

Abstract

The potential richness of the feedback for learners and teachers is one of the educational advantages of progress tests (PTs). Every test administration yields information on a student's knowledge level in each sub-domain of the test (cross-sectional information), and it adds a next point to the corresponding knowledge growth curve (longitudinal information). Traditional paper-based feedback has severe limitations and requires considerable effort from the learners to give meaning to the data. We reasoned that the PT data should be flexibly accessible in all pathways and with any available comparison data, according to the personal interest of the learner. For that purpose, a web-based tool (Progress test Feedback, the ProF system) was developed. This article presents the principles and features of the generated feedback and shows how it can be used. In addition to enhancement of the feedback, the ProF database of longitudinal PT-data also provides new opportunities for research on knowledge growth, and these are currently being explored.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Arno M. M. Muijtjens

Arno MM Muijtjens, MSc, PhD, is an associate professor, statistician and methodologist at the Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

Ilske Timmermans

Ilske Timmermans is a health scientist at the Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

Jeroen Donkers

Jeroen Donkers, PhD, is an assistant professor, knowledge engineer at the Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

Robert Peperkamp

Robert Peperkamp is a system developer at the Department of Educational Development and Research, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

Harro Medema

Harro Medema, MA, is a system developer at the Institute for Medical Education, Centre for Innovation and Research of Medical Education, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Janke Cohen-Schotanus

Janke Cohen-Schotanus, PhD, is a professor of education at the Institute for Medical Education, Centre for Innovation and Research of Medical Education, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Arnold Thoben

Arnold Thoben is an assistant professor at the Department of Educational and Student Affairs, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Arnold C. G. Wenink

Arnold CG Wenink, MD, PhD, LLM, is an associate professor at the Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Cees P. M. van der Vleuten

Cees PM Van Der Vleuten, PhD, is a professor of education, Chair of the Department of Educational Development and Research, Scientific Director of the School of Health Professions Education (SHE), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.