Students Retain Math Skill Mastery Through Reassessment and Relearning

Research Summary:

We ran a randomized controlled trial on two ASSISTments features: Skill Builders and Automatic Reassessment and Relearning System (ARRS). Skill Builders allows teachers to assign individual skills practice sets. ARRS automatically reassesses students on these skills, and assigns relearning Skill Builders to ensure they retain mastery of the skill set. Our study showed greater performance on those skills that were reassessed and relearned.

Methods:

Participants completed pre- and post-tests in the classrooms of two cooperating teachers. Both teachers were experienced using the Connected Mathematics Pearson 2 curriculum and using the ASSISTments platform. A total of 32 skills were targeted for study. Each student was provided opportunities for practice and assessment on each skill.

Major Findings:

‍This study showed that

• ARRS is an effective method for increasing student retention of critical knowledge and skills and in maintaining high levels of proficiency
• Students performed better on skills that were reassessed and relearned
• Reassessment and relearning was most beneficial for students with low pretest performance

Participants:

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The research setting was a suburban middle school in Massachusetts in a relatively high socio-economic status district. 97 8th- grade students were pretested on a set of mathematical skills and then subsequently practiced them until mastery was attained on all skills.

Further Reading:

• Full study