The Effect of Pre-Testing in a Private Pilot Fundamentals Class

Abstract

The positive effect of pre-testing in an Introduction to Aerospace class at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) has been previously documented and published. The purpose of this study was to apply the same study methodology to a different group of students, those who were enrolled in the Private Pilot Fundamentals class at MTSU in the spring of 2007. One section of the course was given a pre-test at the beginning of each unit of study, while another section was given a list of learning objectives for each unit. The subsequent unit post-test performance of each class was analyzed. Based on the results, pre-testing was found to be a useful learning aid for students in terms of subsequent post-test performance. However, it was not as helpful for the Private Pilot Fundamentals students as it was for the Introduction to Aerospace students in the previous study.