Student preference between single-box and multi-box homework problem answers using WeBWorK, an online homework system
WeBWorK is an open-source online homework platform used in mathematics as well as engineering, where students can be assigned calculated answer engineering science problems. Problems with staged answers (multi-box) problems are possible on this system, and could offer feedback for the answers at each intermediate step of the solution. This would allow students to determine the step where they had an error (or deficit in understanding), similar to providing a hint on what their specific error was in adaptive feedback systems.Second-year students in a mechanical engineering program were exposed to both single- and multi-box questions in WeBWorK and were asked to give feedback about their preferences. The vast majority of students reported that they believed that the multi-box questions provided them good feedback on which step or calculation had error(s). They also pointed out the multi-box problems sped up finding errors in their solutions. However, a large minority indicated concern that multi-box problems constrained the solution to a particular path.Based on these results, providing some multi-box problems may assist students in finding their errors through more detailed feedback on their solution. This may be more effective earlier in a particular topic or in the first problems at any given complexity.