Using computer-adaptive quizzing as a tool for NCLEX-RN success

• Main Author: Pence, Jillyn Noland
• Language: EN
• Published: The University of Alabama 2016
• Subjects: Educational tests & measurements|Nursing|Educational technology
• Online Access: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10127932

<p> A common goal among nurse educators is to adequately prepare graduates to be competent, caring professionals who deliver the highest standard of care. For the nursing school graduate, the first step to attaining this goal is success on the NCLEX-RN. Nurse educators are constantly seeking new strategies to help better prepare graduates for first time NCLEX-RN success. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student access to computer-adaptive quizzing software program during the final semester of a baccalaureate nursing program and first time NCLEX-RN success. </p><p> Employing the principles of retrieval practice theory, computer-adaptive quizzing is a strategy used in nursing education to allow students to study, evaluate, remediate, and reevaluate mastery of nursing concepts. Computer-adaptive quizzing was developed using the foundational principles of computer-adaptive testing and item response theory, which have been utilized in education, psychology, and computer science for many years. </p><p> A retrospective, descriptive correlational design was used to compare NCLEX-RN outcomes of one cohort of students who did not have access to the computer-adaptive quizzing software (<i>n</i>=99) and one cohort who did have access (<i>n</i>=96). The computer-adaptive quizzing software program that was used in this study was PassPoint^&reg;, a product of Wolters Kluwer Health. There were no statistically significant differences between the two cohorts related to age, gender, race, pre-nursing science GPA, nursing GPA, nursing course failures, and if other degrees were held. There were no major course changes or revisions over the four semesters of the study other than the implementation of the PassPoint adaptive quizzing software. Chi-square analysis suggested that there was an association between having access to and using the software and NCLEX-RN success (<i>p</i>&lt; .001; <i>df</i>=1) with 16.16% of those not having access being unsuccessful on the NCLEX-RN compared to 1.05% of those with access being unsuccessful. Logistic regression showed the predictive model significantly predicted that 18% of the variability of NCLEX-RN success could be linked with usage of the adaptive quizzing software.</p>