Opportunities for Self-Evaluation Increase Student Calibration in an Introductory Biology Course

CBE Life Sci Educ. 2019 Jun;18(2):ar16. doi: 10.1187/cbe.18-10-0202.

Abstract

Accurate self-evaluation is critical for learning. Calibration describes the relationship between learners' perception of their performance and their actual performance on a task. Here, we describe two studies aimed at assessing and improving student calibration in a first-semester introductory biology course at a 4-year public institution. Study 1 investigated students' (n = 310) calibration (the difference between estimated and actual exam performance) across one semester. Students were significantly miscalibrated for the first exam: their predicted scores were, on average, significantly higher than their actual scores. The lowest-performing students had the most inaccurate estimates. Calibration improved with each exam. By the final exam, students underestimated their scores. We initiated a second study in the following semester to examine whether explicitly teaching students about self-evaluation strategies would improve their calibration and performance. Instruction in the experimental section (n = 290) focused on students' tendency to overestimate their abilities and provided retrieval-practice opportunities. Students in the experimental section showed better calibration and performance on the first exam compared with students in a control section taught by a different instructor during the same semester (n = 251). These findings suggest that simple instructional strategies can increase students' metacognitive awareness and improve their performance.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biology / education*
  • Calibration
  • Educational Measurement
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning
  • Male
  • Self-Assessment*
  • Students / psychology*
  • Time Factors