Track
Research Project / Assessment of Student Learning
Abstract
This quantitative research project explores the "testing effect" in project-based courses as an assessment of the application of knowledge. The "testing effect" refers to enhancing learning when students attempt to recall information from class lessons. Tests not only serve as assessment tools; they can also strengthen learning through recall of information. Various research studies have suggested that testing promotes greater learning amongst learners in primary and secondary educational settings. With that being said, testing is underutilized in higher-education applied arts courses, specifically those that are project-based. Unlike knowledge-based courses, in which students are required to complete exams and research papers to demonstrate levels of knowledge and understanding of course materials, project-based courses generally do not require exams, quizzes, or papers for assessment purposes. In the applied arts, students engage in a series of design-based projects that demonstrate a defined level of skills, application of knowledge, and creative expression, as specified in the course objectives. The research objective of this study was to compare two interior design-studio courses to determine whether the use of tests early in the design studios promoted greater learning in project-based design courses. The research study compared sophomore- and junior-level interior design project-based courses over the course of a semester. The findings indicate that even though interior design students perceive testing negatively, the students also perceive that open design- studio projects alone are not enough to enhance student learning.
Session Format
Presentation Session
Location
Room 212
Recommended Citation
Gomez-Lanier, Lilia Dr., ""Testing Effect" to Enhance Learning in Applied Arts Project-Based Courses" (2016). SoTL Commons Conference. 5.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2016/5
"Testing Effect" to Enhance Learning in Applied Arts Project-Based Courses
Room 212
This quantitative research project explores the "testing effect" in project-based courses as an assessment of the application of knowledge. The "testing effect" refers to enhancing learning when students attempt to recall information from class lessons. Tests not only serve as assessment tools; they can also strengthen learning through recall of information. Various research studies have suggested that testing promotes greater learning amongst learners in primary and secondary educational settings. With that being said, testing is underutilized in higher-education applied arts courses, specifically those that are project-based. Unlike knowledge-based courses, in which students are required to complete exams and research papers to demonstrate levels of knowledge and understanding of course materials, project-based courses generally do not require exams, quizzes, or papers for assessment purposes. In the applied arts, students engage in a series of design-based projects that demonstrate a defined level of skills, application of knowledge, and creative expression, as specified in the course objectives. The research objective of this study was to compare two interior design-studio courses to determine whether the use of tests early in the design studios promoted greater learning in project-based design courses. The research study compared sophomore- and junior-level interior design project-based courses over the course of a semester. The findings indicate that even though interior design students perceive testing negatively, the students also perceive that open design- studio projects alone are not enough to enhance student learning.
