Effectiveness of an Extracurricular Test Administered in The Nippon Dental University School of Life Dentistry at Niigata

Abstract

 Abstract We have administered an extracurricular test in The Nippon Dental University School of Life Dentistry at Niigata. The aim of this test is for students to expand their knowledge related to the questions in the tests by looking up answers and their basis, and finally to develop good learning habits. Since no research had ever examined the effectiveness of this extracurricular test, we investigated its effectiveness. Five kinds of multiple-choice tests (Tests 1 to 5) were given to fourth-grade students. Each test was conducted three times ; the post-test was carried out within 6-10 days after the pre-test, and then the review test was done after all pre- and post-tests of Tests 1 to 5. We compared these three tests, namely, pre-test, post-test, and review test. Moreover, we investigated the correlation between the pre-test scores and the IRT standard scores of computer-based testing (CBT). The scores of the post-test and review test were significantly higher than those of the pre-test. There were a weak positive correlation and a moderate positive correlation between the IRT standard score of CBT and the scores of the first (Test 1) pre-test and between the IRT standard score and the scores of the final (Test 5) pre-test, respectively. In addition, there was a weak positive correlation between the IRT standard score and the score obtained by subtracting the Test 1 pre-test from the Test 5 pre-test. The knowledge acquired by the extracurricular test might be related to the result of CBT, which suggests the effectiveness of this test.