IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING USING ASSESSMENT ITEM ANALYSIS IN PROGRAMMING COURSES

Xue Bai
Ade Ola
Soma Akkaladevi
Virginia State University, Petersburg

ABSTRACT
The primary purpose of assessment is to improve teaching and students’ learning. What
makes assessment for effective learning is how well the information is used. Instructors and
students can use the information gained from assessment to determine their next teaching and
learning steps. This information can help instructors better understand what their students are
learning, identify specific areas which need clarification, and hence improve both teaching and
learning experiences. Item analysis is a widely used tool to assess learning outcomes. It provides
the means to gather evidence about students’ knowledge on specific topics or knowledge areas. It
can be used to identify students’ strengths and weakness, monitor student learning and progress,
and plan and conduct instruction. This study demonstrates how an item analysis tool was used to
evaluate an assessment, and how the information was used to enhance the learning and teaching
practice.

Keywords: Student learning, item analysis, assessment, distractor analysis, auto grading