Are exam grades predetermined by students' prior performance and personal characteristics, or can underperforming students catch up? We evaluate whether additional e-learning practice opportunities improve learning outcomes for a group of undergraduate business students enrolled in a university math course (N = 281). During the semester, students were offered two types of voluntary additional e-learning practice opportunities (some earned extra credit, others did not). These practice opportunities incorporated the study techniques of self-testing and spacing, as well as knowledge of correct responses feedback. After controlling for a large number of personal characteristics, we find that voluntary practice has a statistically significant effect on exam performance, which indicates that practicing leads to better grades. Our results show that students currently performing at any level can improve their learning outcomes through additional practice. Furthermore, the overall effect is most significant for weak students who would otherwise be expected to score low on the exam.

考试成绩是由学生之前的表现和个人特征决定的，还是表现不佳的学生可以赶上？我们评估了额外的电子学习实践机会是否会改善一组注册大学数学课程的本科商科学生的学习成果 ( N = 281）。在学期期间，学生获得了两种自愿的额外电子学习实践机会（有些获得了额外学分，有些则没有）。这些练习机会结合了自测和间隔的学习技巧，以及正确反应反馈的知识。在控制了大量的个人特征后，我们发现自愿练习对考试成绩有统计上的显着影响，这表明练习会带来更好的成绩。我们的结果表明，目前处于任何水平的学生都可以通过额外的练习来提高他们的学习成果。此外，整体效果对于成绩不佳的学生来说最为显着，否则他们将在考试中获得低分。