In-class vs. online administration of concept inventories and attitudinal assessments

TL;DR

This study compares student responses and participation rates between in-class and online administrations of physics concept inventories and attitudes surveys, providing insights into best practices for online testing environments.

Contribution

It offers empirical data on how testing environments influence participation and response quality in physics assessments.

Findings

Higher participation in in-class testing

Online testing shows lower response rates

Best practices identified for online assessment administration

Abstract

This study investigates differences in student responses to in-class and online administrations of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), and the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS). Close to 700 physics students from 12 sections of three different courses were instructed to complete the concept inventory relevant to their course, either the FCI or CSEM, and the CLASS. Each student was randomly assigned to take one of the surveys in class and the other survey online using the LA Supported Student Outcomes (LASSO) system hosted by the Learning Assistant Alliance (LAA). We examine how testing environments and instructor practices affect participation rates and identify best practices for future use.