Education research: introductory astronomy midterm statistics

Astronomy 210 Midterm 1, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Cuesta College Astronomy 210 (introductory astronomy lecture) students take their first midterm on cycles/motions, history of astronomy, and telescopes in the eighth week of instruction.

The midterm consists of ten multiple-choice questions (with partial credit for multiple-choice), and three short-answer questions (graded with a standardized rubric), to be completed within 80 minutes (the length of a regularly-scheduled lecture).

Grading statistics:
Section 70158
Exam code: midterm01sLa6

0- 20.0 :
20.5- 40.0 :	*** [low = 24.0]
40.5- 60.0 :	***************
60.5- 80.0 :	*********** [mean = 63.2 +/- 17.5]
80.5-100.0 :	********* [high = 96.5]

The order in which students turned in their completed midterms was recorded, beginning approximately 20 minutes after starting, to 80 minutes after starting. With a linear regression r² value of 0.2046, there is no significant correlation between the completion order c turning on the midterm and resulting score S (S = 0.6881c + 49.329).


Grading statistics:
Section 70160
Exam code: midterm01n4rN

0- 20.0 :
20.5- 40.0 :	** [low = 28.0]
40.5- 60.0 :	**********
60.5- 80.0 :	********** [mean = 66.8 +/- 18.3]
80.5-100.0 :	******** [high = 96.0]

With a linear regression r² value of 0.0125, there is no significant correlation between the completion order c turning on the midterm and resulting score S (S = 0.2438c + 63.446).