This IRT project aims to develop a personalized tool for students– a coach for competency-based organic chemistry learning. This is part of our larger goal to improve student learning, experience, and outcomes in undergraduate Organic Chemistry. The project relies and builds upon CARBON - a platform currently in use in our organic chemistry courses, which we built, tested, and validated as part of our 2022-2023 IRT effort. CARBON is a real-time assessment report generator, expandable database, and datamining tool that accepts per-item, per-student, assessment data. It organizes data according to course, assessment, and learning goals and has expandable datamining capabilities to relate assessment data within and across courses. Currently, CARBON serves the teaching team.
This project will serve the student. In this IRT we will:
1. Create a dynamic repository of smart-questions drawn from CARBON. The database consists of past assessment questions with related statistical data (question difficulty, discrimination, core learning goals, etc.). These questions will be called upon according to a student-specified set of parameters, such as chapter, assessment period, core learning goals, and difficulty level. This will enable students to improve learning with personalized, competency-based, course-validated, practice assessment questions.
2. Extend the report capabilities of CARBON to generate Student Assessment Reports. Student reports will present the relation between assessment items, including answer keys and grading rubrics, learning goals, and demonstrated student ability, and will include suggestions for areas of improvement. This individualized feedback will enable the student to identify areas of strength and weakness and guide learning efforts.
3. Assess the feasibility of creating an interactive dynamic interface of smart-questions (Aim 1) accompanied by real-time student self-assessment reports (Aim 2). Ideally, students would sign into PAL (the student interface for CARBON), request specified question types, solve them within PAL, and receive a student report based on their responses that would include recommended next steps. This fully functional tool would be housed on a Rutgers-approved platform and/or server. The Organic Chemistry PAL would have much value, especially to the student, who could use it to develop content competency in accord with their targeted course outcome.