Gender and Student Performance in Computer-Based Exams
Author Information
Author(s): Susan M. Kies, Benjamin D. Williams, Gregory G. Freund
Primary Institution: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Hypothesis
Students would perform less well on computer-based exams than on traditional pen-and-paper exams, and that much of this difference would reflect poorer performance by females on computer-based exams.
Conclusion
The format for examinations does not affect student performance, and there are no gender differences in performance on exams.
Supporting Evidence
- Students performed equally well on both paper and computer exams.
- There were no significant gender differences in performance across the different exam formats.
- Students became familiar with the computerized format before taking the exams.
Takeaway
This study found that it doesn't matter if students take tests on paper or on a computer; they perform the same, and boys and girls do equally well.
Methodology
The study involved first-year medical students and compared their performance on paper-and-pencil versus computer-based exams over three academic years.
Limitations
The study only included first-year medical students from one institution, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
First-year medical students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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