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Year performance and final achievement in a physiology course
1Department of General Physiology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
The Journal of the Dental Association of South Africa = Die Tydskrif Van Die Tandheelkundige Vereniging Van Suid-Afrika
|March 1, 1993
Summary
Student year performance strongly predicts final achievement in physiology courses. A high year mark (above 55%) nearly guarantees passing, suggesting its potential as a sole assessment measure.
Area of Science:
- Physiology education
- Academic performance assessment
Background:
- Assessing student achievement in higher education requires reliable metrics.
- The predictive validity of continuous assessment versus final examinations is a key area of educational research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between year-end performance and final examination results in a second-year physiology course.
- To evaluate the predictive power of the year mark on overall student achievement.
Main Methods:
- Statistical analysis of student marks from a second-year physiology course.
- Correlation analysis to determine the relationship between continuous assessment (year mark) and summative assessment (examination mark).
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between the year mark and the examination mark.
- The year mark demonstrated a high predictive value, accounting for 44% to 85% of the variance in final achievement.
- Students achieving a year mark above 55% consistently passed the course.
Conclusions:
- The year mark is a strong predictor of student success in physiology.
- Consideration should be given to using the year mark as a primary or sole determinant for passing the course.
- Recommendations include allowing supplementary examinations only for students with passing year marks and ensuring the year mark contributes significantly to the final grade.