Changes in student effort and grade expectation in the course of a term

Students were surveyed and asked to self-evaluate their performance and time-on-task in six engineering courses (eight sections). Surveys were conducted four times over the course of a 10-week quarter. Students with the highest grade point averages (GPAs) (2.88 mean; 4.00 mode) indicated ‘no change’ while students with lower GPAs (2.67 mean; 1.83 mode) indicated a ‘negative change’ in grade expectations by the end of the quarter, indicating that better performing students are better self-evaluators. Students reduced time-on-task 2–4 hours/week, especially early in the quarter. Students who changed their time-on-task during each survey had a GPA mode of 4.00, indicating that ‘master’ students readily adapt to course demands. This study shows that most students over-predict their grades and their level of commitment to a course and lose confidence in their abilities as the term progresses. It is suggested that instructors obtain student grade predictions and use them to provide timely and appropriate feedback.