A trial studying approach to predict college achievement

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Higher Education Admissions
• Assessment and Evaluation

Background:

• Current student selection methods may not fully capture potential for academic success.
• Traditional assessments often fail to measure critical non-cognitive skills like self-regulation.
• The need for reliable and valid selection tools in higher education is paramount.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate trial studying as a valid and reliable method for higher education student selection.
• To demonstrate the predictive validity of trial studying for academic success.
• To highlight the capacity of trial studying to measure self-regulation in high-stakes contexts.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a work sample approach, adapted from personnel selection.
• Implementing trial studying as a practical assessment for prospective students.
• Analyzing the predictive validity of the trial studying method for study success.

Main Results:

• Trial studying demonstrates significant predictive validity for student success in higher education.
• The method shows high acceptance among stakeholders involved in the selection process.
• Trial studying effectively measures self-regulation, a trait not captured by self-report questionnaires.

Conclusions:

• Trial studying is a reliable and valid approach for selecting students for higher education.
• This method offers a superior alternative for assessing self-regulation compared to self-report measures.
• Further research and implementation of trial studying in student selection are recommended.