Is it ever a good idea to allow a learner to 'skip' a lesson and go straight to the assessment? Why yes - yes it is!
Given the importance Bright places on delivering programs that drive true upskilling and business impacts, it's worth pausing to consider both WHY we offer a pre-assessment feature + showing exactly how the selections you make will impact the learner experience.
First - what is a pre-assessment?
Bright's pre-assessment feature is a setting in multi-choice moments that allows learners to demonstrate knowledge BEFORE watching a digital lesson. If this setting is enabling on a Moment, a 'Try Assessment First' button will appear above the video for 7 seconds. The button includes an animation that indicates the timer progression. If the learner clicks the button, they will skip directly to the assessment. If they don't, the button disappears and the lesson automatically plays as usual.
Why Pre-Assessments?
From a learning science perspective, the first reason to enable pre-assessments is because there's nothing magic about watching an instructional lesson. The purpose of the lesson is to build knowledge (just like the purpose of a simulation is to build skill). So if a learner can demonstrate that they already possess the requisite knowledge for a lesson, then watching the lesson may not be necessary. In that case, it's a better use of their time to move through the lesson faster onto something more relevant to their development.
Another reason to use pre-assessments is to support group/cohort-based delivery programs outside the platform. We have many customers who BOTH want to deliver lessons and activities in a group setting AND track individual-level progress for reporting purposes. Adding a pre-assessment button, in this case, lets learners who may have already covered content outside the platform move to assessments more quickly, while still giving them the option to review digital lesson content if necessary.
How to Use It
To setup the pre-assessment, use the 'Enable Pre-Assessment' dropdown in the Select a Choice prompt section of the Moments record.
- No - This is the default setting. The "Try Assessment First?" button does not appear, so Moments progress normally, and the learner has the option to 'Review Lesson' or 'Retake Assessment.'
- Yes - Require First Attempt Pass - This setting shows the "Try Assessment First?" button. If the learner clicks the button, and fails the attempt, their ONLY option will be to 'Review Lesson.' The video will start playing again and they'll have to watch the full lesson before re-attempting the assessment. The logic here is that if a learner fails the assessment, we now know it's important for them to review the lesson before making another assessment attempt.
- Yes - Allow Additional Attempts Without Lesson - This setting also shows the "Try Assessment First?" button. However, in this case, the learner will still see both the 'Review Lesson' or 'Retake Assessment' buttons regardless of whether they pass or fail the attempt. This option provides flexibility for admins who are ok with the learner both skipping the lesson and making multiple back-to-back assessment attempts.