How Score Versus Satisfaction Relates to Students' Emotions Following a Computer-Based Test

• In Event: New Empirical Insights on What Energizes Learners: A Session on Emotions and Engagement

Abstract

Background: Computer-based testing (CBT) has become the hallmark of 21st century assessment (Sireci & Zenisky, 2016) and allows instructors to provide students with scores immediately after their examination. Immediate score reporting is a good assessment practice, but little is known about its impact on students’ emotions. Daniels and Gierl (2017) found that immediate score reporting had significant positive effects on relief, pride, and hope and negative effects on anxiety and shame. These results align with the positive feedback loops described in the control-value theory of emotions (Pekrun, 2006; Pekrun et al., 2016; Pekrun et al., 2014). However, their study had two major limitations we sought to remedy. First, the study had major attrition between the two assessments of emotions (66%) and the final sample overrepresented high achievers. Second, there was no consideration of students’ subjective appraisal of the examination score even though emotions are appraisal based (Pekrun, 2006).

Method: After a CBT students were redirected to a screen indicating that their exam was over and inviting them to participate in a study on emotions. All 148 students completed the first questionnaire containing 18 emotion items measuring relief, hope, pride, anxiety, anger, and shame (Pekrun et al., 2011; reliabilities .69 to .86) and then saw their exam score (M=75.78%, SD=9.3%). The second questionnaire measured emotions (reliabilities .77 to .94) and score satisfaction. We offered each student a $5 coffee card for completing both assessments. 138 students completed both questionnaires (7% attrition). We ran separate repeated measures analysis of covariance for the emotions. Time was the two-level within-subject factor (T1 = emotions at completion of exam; T2 = emotions after receiving score) and score satisfaction was the three-level between-subject factor (1=low n=51; 2=average n=42; 3=high n=45). Examination score was entered as a covariate.

Results and discussion: No significant main effects for Time or interaction with test score emerged for any emotion. However, there were significant Time X Satisfaction interactions for each emotion (eta2 range .13 to .35). Follow-up paired samples t-tests within each satisfaction group showed that when students felt low satisfaction their anger and shame increased, and hope, pride, and relief decreased. When students reported average satisfaction their anxiety decreased. When students felt high levels of satisfaction their anxiety decreased, and hope, pride, and relief increased. The groups did not differ on emotions at Time 1 (Bonferonni corrected p <.004). The results of this research suggest that score satisfaction is key to understanding the impact of immediate score reporting on emotions. By retaining a larger sample with a more representative distribution of exam scores, we identified that immediate score reporting can be beneficial for students’ emotions when they feel satisfied by the score but detrimental when they feel unsatisfied with their score. Thus, teachers may need to proceed with some caution when giving students their score immediately. Moreover, researchers and teachers may want to examine ways to help students feel more satisfied with their score. One option would be to present students with descriptive feedback in addition to their score.

Authors

• Lia Marie Daniels, University of Alberta

• Lily Le, University of Alberta

• Lindsey Nadon, University of Alberta