Online Self-Assessment in Mathematics at the University of Bern

Abstract

In the Swiss education system the cantons oversee educational matters, practically meaning there are 26 different school systems. This is also reflected in the graduation exam, which is organized locally in every high school. Based on this assessment and their preference, students are admitted to university without any additional entrance exam. This motivated us to create an online self-assessment. Its two mathematical parts serve a different purpose: one evaluates basic mathematical skills, and the other one deals with abstract reasoning that gives students a flavor of university mathematics. Additionally, the online self-assessment contains a set of metacognition questions regarding motivation, expectations and attitude towards mathematics. Our goal is that students to identify their strengths and help them make a more informed study choice.

The technical tool used for the implementation is STACK, an open-source online assessment system in mathematics. Concerning this use case of STACK, we are currently collecting students’ feedback. We will present our first conclusions on this matter, which serve as a basis for further adjustments of the material.