Participation versus points: examining the impact of grading conditions on student resource use during an out-of-class biology concept assessment

Instructors use concept assessments to collect diagnostic information regarding student learning and to inform decisions surrounding instructional interventions and course modifications. Administering concept assessments out-of-class helps preserve already limited instructional time, but instructors still must consider whether to apply a lower-stakes (i.e., participation) versus higher-stakes (i.e., correctness) grading scheme. An increase in stakes is likely to prompt additional effort, but it may also increase undesired behaviors and inadvertently prompt external resource use, such as students leveraging their notes, the internet, or their peers. In the present study, we compared student self-reported resource use on a biology concept assessment administered under lower-stakes versus higher-stakes out-of-class conditions. We found that students received higher scores under the higher-stakes condition, but based on their increased resource use and broader course exam performance, these scores are unlikely to be representative of their unaided molecular and cellular biology knowledge. These findings help inform instructors of how out-of-class administration conditions impact student behaviors and score validity. Furthermore, we discuss how expectations for success and subjective task value might help explain how students complete concept assessments, as well as other assignments outside of dedicated class time.