Use of Retrieval Practice Data as a Learning Analytics Tool
Authors: Kolitsky Michael 
Published: May 2022

Retrieval practice or learning by testing using multiple choice or True/False Quizzes called Quizlets was utilized to study its impact on student performance in fully online Anatomy and Physiology I lecture and lab courses as well as in an upper division Histology course all offered in asynchronous fashion. Learning analytics data was generated when studying for exams in the form of the number of times students used the retrieval practice tool and what scores were earned from using the Quizlets. R‐squared analysis was also employed to produce goodness‐of‐fit graphs to determine if results met expected outcomes.

Course design features:

Blackboard ULTRA course management system

no video lectures

ebook chapters and web readings assigned

use Quizlets as learning tool (100 – 150 questions per chapter)

used Respondus Lockdown Browser to prevent cheating

Anatomy and Physiology I lecture course results (150 students)

Figure 1 shows the grade distribution for all lecture exams. Data displayed in Figure 2 show that grades earned for Quizlets match closely the increase in percentage seen in Figures 1. Figure 3 shows a strong correlation between the number of Quizlets done and the grade received in the exams. Figure 4 shows similar student numbers for combined A + B and D + F categories. And lastly, Figure 5 shows an R‐squared analysis which demonstrates a goodness‐of‐fit statistical measure of how close the data are to the fitted line. In this case, an R‐squared value of 0.4082 falls within the acceptable range of goodness‐of‐fit values in a field such as learning analytics as they apply to data collected from studies involving human subjects.

Anatomy and Physiology I lab course results (150 students)

Figures 6 compares grades obtained on lab exams with grades accumulated from doing the Quizlets as a study tool. It is interesting to observe that when compared to the Anatomy and Physiology lecture material in Figure 4, Figure 6 shows a lowering of the percentage of A grades for Quizlets (orange bar) and increase in the percentage of F grades for Quizlets while the exam grades for A (blue) and F stay the same. The value for Quizlets in the A category add up to 556.88 points and when divided by the student number results in an average score of 9.77 out of a possible 10 points for each Quizlet taken. For the F category, the Quizlets add up to a total of 107.94 and when divided by the 38 students in the F category give rise to an average value of 2.84 out of a possible 10 points per Quizlet. This indicates that students studying for the lab exam did not use the Quizlets as a study tool as much as the students did in the A category and explains well the increase in percentage of students in the F category on the chart in Figure 6. Figure 7 shows an R‐squared analysis for all lab exams and is on the lower end of acceptability for data generated in a human response mode compared to well controlled physical or chemical action processes.

Histology course (250 students)

Figure 8 shows a close approximation of the grade distributions for the combined lecture and lab exams when compared to the Quizlets taken. The R‐squared analysis in Figure 9 shows a value of 0.3137 and is acceptable for a goodness‐of‐fit approximation since the data was generated in a human response mode and not using a controlled physical or chemical action.