Improved Student Performance

In the 2015-2016 TAP, STEM and non-STEM faculty reported that after applying selected student-centered pedagogical approaches, there were marked improvements in the first mid-term exam averages:  In 3 sections of a 100-level Engineering course, 2 sections of a 200-level Engineering course, and 1 section of a 100-level Communication course, there was 20.8%, 5.3%, and 17.3% increase in student average scores respectively in the first mid-term exams compared to the results from the previous year.  The exam questions were identical or equivalent in difficulty level from the previous year. 

Comparison of First Mid-term Exam Mean Scores in 2014 and 2015

In addition to improvements in exam means, 2 Engineering faculty participants examined final grade distributions in three 100 and 200-level courses.  They found 10%, 12%, and 7% increase respectively in students passing with A’s and B’s after the Teaching Academy.  In one of the 100-level courses, there was a decrease from 17% to 5% in the percentage of students earning a D. 

In the 2017 Fall TAP, while assessment types varied from course to course, students’ quiz, exam, and final paper scores increased as much as 17% in STEM and 8.3% in non-STEM courses.  In particular, for 2 sections of a 100-level STEM course there was 17% increase in student scores on a formative assessment (quiz) and 6.6% increase in student average scores on the summative assessment (final exam).  Across 3 sections of a 100-level non-STEM course, there was a 6.5% increase in student average scores of 3 summative assessments (exams) compared to the results from previous year.