Mastering A&P contributes to student success
Pearson | March 4, 2022 in Meaningful Outcomes
by Pearson
Mastering A&P contributes to student success
In Spring 2017, Professor Jill Kirby from Lipscomb University partnered with Pearson to investigate the impact of Mastering™ A&P for Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology by Martini on student success in her Anatomy and Physiology II course.
Key findings include:
- Students who scored above the mean Mastering score had significantly higher quiz, unit exam, and final exam averages than students who earned below the mean.
- Students who attempted all Mastering homework had significantly higher quiz, unit exam, and final exam averages than students who skipped one or more Mastering assignments.
- 72 percent or more of students who responded to an end-of-semester survey agreed or strongly agreed with a series of questions about how helpful Mastering was to them in the course.
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Why did Professor Jill Kirby adopt Mastering A&P?
Kirby decided to pilot Mastering in A&P II in Spring 2017 after completing a successful A&P I class test. She received positive feedback from students in A&P I, and the class test helped her better understand how Mastering could help facilitate student learning and achievement of her course goals, especially that of increased rigor.
How was Mastering A&P implemented?
Anatomy and Physiology II (A&P II) is the second course in a two-semester sequence. For Spring 2017, Kirby taught two sections of A&P II, but piloted Mastering A&P in one section. Her course components in the pilot section included exams, paper/tracings, quizzes, and Mastering.
The Mastering assignments generally were assigned by chapter. They were required weekly except for weeks in which a test or major campus activity was scheduled. They were not timed. Students had multiple attempts, and the Mastering default settings were in place. Mastering assignments accounted for 10% of the total course grade.
Were students successful in the course?
The study focused on the performance of students in the section using Mastering utilizing the same type of analysis as was done in A&P I. Results are based on grouping students according to Mastering participation and performance.
Those who earned a Mastering average higher than the mean had significantly higher quiz, unit exam, and final exam averages than students who earned below the mean Mastering score.
The students who attempted all Mastering assignments had a significantly higher average for quizzes, unit exam, and final exam than students who skipped one or more Mastering assignments.
Did students like using Mastering A&P?
An end-of-semester survey was conducted and responses for A&P II were similar to those from the A&P I pilot, with the majority of students giving positive feedback.
One student said:
“When it came around to taking quizzes and tests, I used Mastering as a tool to review the material I was being tested on.”
Learn more about how Mastering A&P could benefit your course
