knowledgechecks vs average score
Jan 15, 2021
Hello there,
A customer asks if it's possible to make a course with 15 chapters (lessons). At the end of each chapter there are 4 questions. Their idea is that a learner passes the course when al chapters have scored 80% individually + an average 80% score of all questions.
Of course i can create this (either within one scorm or multiple scorms in the LMS). But my problem is that i feel it is 'not done' to keep learners in the dark throughout the course wether they already failed or not.
I'd rather let learners gain acces to a next lesson once they pass the current. Or create an extra end-test to pass. Or even both.
Your thoughts are the fuel I need to communicate this advice to the customer. What are your thoughts?
I do love the tool of adding inbetween knowledge checks but i think they lose their power when they are calculated in for an end result. Especially with a course of this size. I also never saw this in any of the many elearning i encountered.
Any idea's?
Thanks
4 Replies
Hello, Peter,
I agree with you that it is not good to keep learners in the dark about their goal or their progress.
For such a large course, I'd program it so the learner has to pass the chapter Knowledge Check before they can proceed to the next chapter. (With only 4 questions, I'd make them score 100%, too. If they know that in advance, they're more likely to pay closer attention.)
I'd also explain those rules at the start of the course. In fact, I've done that with a "gamification" idea: refer to the chapters as Levels. In other words, say upfront that the user has to pass (conquer) the first level before advancing to the next level. You could even use steps, a game board, or similar graphics as a custom menu to indicate their progress.
Good luck with your project!
I agree with Judy.
Too often, the focus on the quiz or assessment gets in the way of our real goal: Did we effectively communicate/transfer the required knowledge/information. In other words, is it more important that they pass or that they learn?
I like the approach Judy stated of passing all 4 questions before moving on. However, when taking this approach, I would make sure that when a participant misses a question, they are provided the information they need to get it right the next time (clear and comprehensive feedback). I also like to run them through all of the questions again but only make them update their answers for the questions they missed. You can accomplish this with some layers and variables that "lock in" right answers so the learner can review their answer (repetition reinforces learning) and allows them to change/update the questions they missed based on the feedback received after their prior attempt.
Thank you Owen and Judy,
Exactly my thoughts.
To me (and i suppose us, L&D designers ;-) ) knowledge transfer is what we do it for. Some parts in the business think more of 'Certificate transfer'. It's about finding the right balance between the two. My preferation here is classic: Certificate? - Exam! However i also support the idea that once the learner has passed all the modules a certificate is granted.
And yes: Knowledgechecks in combination with feedback is a winning combination.
One more question pops up after reading your comments: When the learner fails a module: Should he/she restart the lesson or just the test? My guess it would be depending on the length of the lesson.
Hi again, Peter,
Should the user who fails a test have to retake the module? Good question. Short answer: It depends.
Longer answer: They certainly should be allowed to review the module content. As for forcing them to step through the module again, I think that depends on the stakes. For example, if the module explains a policy, and the user will always be able to access the policy when needed, then there's not much at stake if the learner is allowed to simply retake the test—with, as mentioned above, appropriate feedback to guide them and, hopefully, to help them learn the important points. This is a typical situation in compliance courses.
But if a course is training on a high-risk procedure that must be performed exactly, then it's more important to review the content before retaking the test. (Of course, in such situations, one would hope there's more to the training than just an eLearning...)
BTW, if the lesson is so long that it would be a burden to repeat the whole thing, then it seems like it could be divided into shorter segments. After all, there's no rule against having the user answer 1 or 2 questions as they go along.
Bottom line: Consider the type, length, and complexity of the content, as well as the stakes involved.