Investigating Students’ Answering Behaviors in a Computer-Based Mathematics Algebra Test: A Cognitive-Load Perspective

Investigating Students’ Answering Behaviors in a Computer-Based Mathematics Algebra Test: A Cognitive-Load Perspective. Wang, J., Wang, T., & Huang, C. Behavioral Sciences, 12(8):293, August, 2022.

Paper doi abstract bibtex

Computer-based testing is an emerging method to evaluate students’ mathematics learning outcomes. However, algebra problems impose a high cognitive load due to requiring multiple calculation steps, which might reduce students’ performance in computer-based testing. In order to understand students’ cognitive load when answering algebra questions in a computer-based testing environment, three perspectives, element interactivity, practice effect, and individual differences, were investigated in this study. Seven levels of algebra exam questions were created using unary and simultaneous linear equations, and the inverse efﬁciency scores were employed as a measure of cognitive load in the study. Forty undergraduate and graduate students were tested. There were four ﬁndings: (1) As the element interactivity of test materials increased, the cognitive load increased rapidly. (2) The high-efﬁciency group had a lower cognitive load than the low-efﬁciency group, suggesting that the high-efﬁciency group had an advantage in a computer-based testing environment. (3) “Practice” has a considerable effect on reducing cognitive load, particularly in level 6 and 7 test items. (4) The low-efﬁciency group can reduce but not eliminate the gap with the high-efﬁciency group; they may require additional experience in a computer-based testing environment in order to improve reducing their cognitive load.

@article{wang_investigating_2022,
	title = {Investigating {Students}’ {Answering} {Behaviors} in a {Computer}-{Based} {Mathematics} {Algebra} {Test}: {A} {Cognitive}-{Load} {Perspective}},
	volume = {12},
	issn = {2076-328X},
	shorttitle = {Investigating {Students}’ {Answering} {Behaviors} in a {Computer}-{Based} {Mathematics} {Algebra} {Test}},
	url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/8/293},
	doi = {10.3390/bs12080293},
	abstract = {Computer-based testing is an emerging method to evaluate students’ mathematics learning outcomes. However, algebra problems impose a high cognitive load due to requiring multiple calculation steps, which might reduce students’ performance in computer-based testing. In order to understand students’ cognitive load when answering algebra questions in a computer-based testing environment, three perspectives, element interactivity, practice effect, and individual differences, were investigated in this study. Seven levels of algebra exam questions were created using unary and simultaneous linear equations, and the inverse efﬁciency scores were employed as a measure of cognitive load in the study. Forty undergraduate and graduate students were tested. There were four ﬁndings: (1) As the element interactivity of test materials increased, the cognitive load increased rapidly. (2) The high-efﬁciency group had a lower cognitive load than the low-efﬁciency group, suggesting that the high-efﬁciency group had an advantage in a computer-based testing environment. (3) “Practice” has a considerable effect on reducing cognitive load, particularly in level 6 and 7 test items. (4) The low-efﬁciency group can reduce but not eliminate the gap with the high-efﬁciency group; they may require additional experience in a computer-based testing environment in order to improve reducing their cognitive load.},
	language = {en},
	number = {8},
	urldate = {2022-10-15},
	journal = {Behavioral Sciences},
	author = {Wang, Jing-Fong and Wang, Tzu-Hua and Huang, Chao-Hsien},
	month = aug,
	year = {2022},
	pages = {293},
}

Downloads: 0

{"_id":"Kwykry9uD8ZeAfnfN","bibbaseid":"wang-wang-huang-investigatingstudentsansweringbehaviorsinacomputerbasedmathematicsalgebratestacognitiveloadperspective-2022","author_short":["Wang, J.","Wang, T.","Huang, C."],"bibdata":{"bibtype":"article","type":"article","title":"Investigating Students’ Answering Behaviors in a Computer-Based Mathematics Algebra Test: A Cognitive-Load Perspective","volume":"12","issn":"2076-328X","shorttitle":"Investigating Students’ Answering Behaviors in a Computer-Based Mathematics Algebra Test","url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/8/293","doi":"10.3390/bs12080293","abstract":"Computer-based testing is an emerging method to evaluate students’ mathematics learning outcomes. However, algebra problems impose a high cognitive load due to requiring multiple calculation steps, which might reduce students’ performance in computer-based testing. In order to understand students’ cognitive load when answering algebra questions in a computer-based testing environment, three perspectives, element interactivity, practice effect, and individual differences, were investigated in this study. Seven levels of algebra exam questions were created using unary and simultaneous linear equations, and the inverse efﬁciency scores were employed as a measure of cognitive load in the study. Forty undergraduate and graduate students were tested. There were four ﬁndings: (1) As the element interactivity of test materials increased, the cognitive load increased rapidly. (2) The high-efﬁciency group had a lower cognitive load than the low-efﬁciency group, suggesting that the high-efﬁciency group had an advantage in a computer-based testing environment. (3) “Practice” has a considerable effect on reducing cognitive load, particularly in level 6 and 7 test items. (4) The low-efﬁciency group can reduce but not eliminate the gap with the high-efﬁciency group; they may require additional experience in a computer-based testing environment in order to improve reducing their cognitive load.","language":"en","number":"8","urldate":"2022-10-15","journal":"Behavioral Sciences","author":[{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Wang"],"firstnames":["Jing-Fong"],"suffixes":[]},{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Wang"],"firstnames":["Tzu-Hua"],"suffixes":[]},{"propositions":[],"lastnames":["Huang"],"firstnames":["Chao-Hsien"],"suffixes":[]}],"month":"August","year":"2022","pages":"293","bibtex":"@article{wang_investigating_2022,\n\ttitle = {Investigating {Students}’ {Answering} {Behaviors} in a {Computer}-{Based} {Mathematics} {Algebra} {Test}: {A} {Cognitive}-{Load} {Perspective}},\n\tvolume = {12},\n\tissn = {2076-328X},\n\tshorttitle = {Investigating {Students}’ {Answering} {Behaviors} in a {Computer}-{Based} {Mathematics} {Algebra} {Test}},\n\turl = {https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/8/293},\n\tdoi = {10.3390/bs12080293},\n\tabstract = {Computer-based testing is an emerging method to evaluate students’ mathematics learning outcomes. However, algebra problems impose a high cognitive load due to requiring multiple calculation steps, which might reduce students’ performance in computer-based testing. In order to understand students’ cognitive load when answering algebra questions in a computer-based testing environment, three perspectives, element interactivity, practice effect, and individual differences, were investigated in this study. Seven levels of algebra exam questions were created using unary and simultaneous linear equations, and the inverse efﬁciency scores were employed as a measure of cognitive load in the study. Forty undergraduate and graduate students were tested. There were four ﬁndings: (1) As the element interactivity of test materials increased, the cognitive load increased rapidly. (2) The high-efﬁciency group had a lower cognitive load than the low-efﬁciency group, suggesting that the high-efﬁciency group had an advantage in a computer-based testing environment. (3) “Practice” has a considerable effect on reducing cognitive load, particularly in level 6 and 7 test items. (4) The low-efﬁciency group can reduce but not eliminate the gap with the high-efﬁciency group; they may require additional experience in a computer-based testing environment in order to improve reducing their cognitive load.},\n\tlanguage = {en},\n\tnumber = {8},\n\turldate = {2022-10-15},\n\tjournal = {Behavioral Sciences},\n\tauthor = {Wang, Jing-Fong and Wang, Tzu-Hua and Huang, Chao-Hsien},\n\tmonth = aug,\n\tyear = {2022},\n\tpages = {293},\n}\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","author_short":["Wang, J.","Wang, T.","Huang, C."],"key":"wang_investigating_2022","id":"wang_investigating_2022","bibbaseid":"wang-wang-huang-investigatingstudentsansweringbehaviorsinacomputerbasedmathematicsalgebratestacognitiveloadperspective-2022","role":"author","urls":{"Paper":"https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/12/8/293"},"metadata":{"authorlinks":{}},"html":""},"bibtype":"article","biburl":"https://bibbase.org/zotero/changgeun.song","dataSources":["AtQERgSdNvAihdqY8"],"keywords":[],"search_terms":["investigating","students","answering","behaviors","computer","based","mathematics","algebra","test","cognitive","load","perspective","wang","wang","huang"],"title":"Investigating Students’ Answering Behaviors in a Computer-Based Mathematics Algebra Test: A Cognitive-Load Perspective","year":2022}