Do Diagnostic Measures in Calculus Work?

At universities around the world, quality assurance standards define learning outcomes for Calculus I and II. An often debated question is how to predict learning outcomes in STEM courses with high withdrawal rates and poor performance. The present study was intended to determine whether faculty-developed diagnostic tests (assessing the readiness of students’ knowledge and skills) and engagement measures could predict learning outcomes in Calculus I and II. Attendance in the first six weeks of the semester served as a measure of behavioral engagement, whereas self-efficacy served as a measure of dispositional engagement. In this study, the diagnostic test of Calculus I predicted skill-related learning outcomes, whereas most measures predicted skill-related learning outcomes in Calculus II. Within an action research protocol, our findings suggest that readiness is to be enhanced to improve students’ chances of academic success as defined by quality assurance standards.