Individualised interactive formative assessments to promote independent learning

Rules-based drill-and-practice questions are often used to promote learning in quantitative courses. Individualised questions are, however, more likely to encourage deep approaches to learning, especially when feedback goes beyond correct/incorrect signals. Individualised questions discourage inappropriate shortcuts, such as peers copying solutions. However, individualisation places extra work on an instructor, particularly in large classes. The objective of the paper is to promote independent learning by describing an automated approach that allows instructors to deliver individualised questions to students with minimal effort. The approach also allows students, at their own discretion, to get individualised help and feedback. Instructors that use rules-based drill-and-practice problems as part of the learning repertoire should find many opportunities to use the approach described in this article.