Last Updated on June 25, 2021
Listening Comprehension Data from 2 Schools Using Listenwise
We get asked all the time, “Have you seen that practicing listening with students improves test scores?” The short answer is yes and we have some evidence from the data generated by our Listenwise Quiz to prove it.
We know from cognitive research that increased listening practice will result in improved comprehension (Horowitz 2012). While this seems intuitive, we have been searching for deeper insight on how practice impacts performance on our listening comprehension assessments. We know that students in Clovis, CA who used Listenwise improved their listening scores on the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) by 12% from 2016 to 2017, and 6th grade students in Paicoma, CA who used Listenwise in 2017 performed 14% higher on the listening component of the CAASPP than 7th and 8th grade students who did not use Listenwise.
Over several months this past spring, we partnered with teachers across the country to understand the impact of using Listenwise in classrooms and collected data using Listenwise quizzes. Our study included 10 middle and high school classes with a range of 10-31 students per class. Each class took between 4-8 quizzes over the course of 4-12 weeks. Out of the 10 classes included in the data analysis, 6 showed an increase in listening comprehension scores over time after using Listenwise. Each quiz has five questions, and these classes averaged a gain of an additional correct answer, or about 20%, by the end of the study.
Below are regression analyses from two classes of 31 students who took 8 quizzes within a 2 month time frame. Each demonstrated improvement over the course of the study. Let’s look at the results:
Students in this class took 8 quizzes over the course of one month. While individual student scores fluctuated, overall the class showed an upward trend and their listening comprehension improved by 20 percentage points over the course of the study. On early quizzes, on average the class scored below three points, while by the final quizzes the average score was just above three points. With each additional quiz the class average increased.
Students in this class completed 8 quizzes over the course of 2 months. While individual student scores fluctuated, overall the class showed a consistently positive trend. These students improved their listening comprehension by 20 percentage points over the course of this study, increasing the class average with each quiz that was taken.
While the data sets are not equal, both show positive growth trends. The results from these students show that listening can be improved with targeted instruction and practice. While further research is necessary to confirm growth at scale, initial data shows that Listenwise, when used as part of instruction, can significantly enhance students’ listening comprehension. This comes at an important time as listening skills are assessed in 15 states and are an anchor standard in the CCSS.
Please share your experiences using our quizzes with your students in comments. If you have a great story about how you teach/assess listening with your class, please share with us! We’d love to feature you on our blog!
