Error-Discovery Learning Boosts Student Engagement and Performance, while Reducing Student Attrition in a...

Area of Science:

• STEM Education
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Active learning strategies can suffer from systemic "blind spots," hindering both instructor insight into student understanding and student self-assessment of learning.
• Traditional lecture formats often fail to address individual conceptual misunderstandings effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a strategy for eliminating "blind spots" in active learning by utilizing a web-based platform for open-ended conceptual problem-solving.
• To measure the impact of this strategy on student attrition, engagement, and academic performance.

Main Methods:

• Students engaged with conceptual problems via a web platform over four years, allowing for identification and targeted resolution of over 200 distinct conceptual errors.
• Data on student attrition, engagement levels, and exam performance were collected and compared to a control group using traditional lecture formats.

Main Results:

• Student attrition decreased fourfold (from 48.3% to 11.4%), with a particularly significant reduction for women undergraduates (from 73.1% to 7.4%).
• Median exam scores rose substantially (from 53% to 72-80%), with the bottom-performing students achieving scores comparable to the previously top-performing half.
• Student engagement metrics showed dramatic increases compared to the lecture-based format.

Conclusions:

• Eliminating "blind spots" in active learning through web-based conceptual problem-solving is a highly effective pedagogical strategy.
• This approach significantly enhances student learning outcomes, reduces attrition, and promotes greater equity, especially for underrepresented groups in STEM.
• The observed improvements were directly attributable to the "zero blind spots" intervention, as gains were not replicated in a control year using similar content without the intervention.