ALEKS-based placement at the university of illinois

Abstract

ALEKS is an adaptive assessment and learning mechanism used as a course companion and assessment tool. The use of ALEKS as an assessment mechanism in higher education at the level between college algebra and calculus began recently, following the work of Carpenter and Hanna which showed that ALEKS could serve as a preparedness measure (Carpenter and Hanna, 2006). This chapter investigates the use of ALEKS as part of a placement mechanism at the University of Illinois, comparing the results to the previously used mechanism based on ACT scores. The effectiveness of standardized college entrance exams as predictors of student performance has been previously investigated, particularly for the SAT (Baron and Norman, 1992). An ALEKS-based mechanism has been implemented at Boise State University (Bullock et al., 2009), using ALEKS as a course companion and as an assessment mechanism. Emulating the implementation at the University of Illinois, the Boise State Mechanism has had similar results regarding the decline of failure proportions in placement courses and enrollment changes.