Mastery That Carries Through: Homework Performance Aligns with Exam Success at East Carolina University

Course: Math2228 — Beginning Statistics

Hawkes Learning Product Used: Beginning Statistics, 3rd Edition

Highlights:

• 86.67% final grade average — across three Spring 2026 sections of Math2228 using Hawkes Learning, students averaged a final course grade of 86.67%.
• 93.12% homework grade average — using Hawkes Learning, students engaged consistently with the homework with a 93.12% average homework score across all three sections.
• Greater confidence and independence — students reported feeling less anxious, more capable, and better prepared for exams compared to previous sections using ALEKS.

The Data: Homework Grades by Course Outcome

Final Overall Grade

• Students who earned an A in the course averaged a homework grade of 99.57%.

• Students who earned a B averaged 95.31% on homework.

• For students who failed the course, the average homework grade was 47%.

Test Average (40% of Course Grade)

The pattern holds for tests, which account for 40% of the course grade.

Final Exam (20% of Course Grade)

Even on the final exam — a single, high-stakes assessment — homework completion predicted performance.

What the Numbers Tell Us

Students earning the highest marks consistently completed nearly all their Hawkes homework, with this pattern appearing at every assessment level, suggesting that the mastery-based homework is helping students build genuine understanding that carries beyond homework and into higher-stakes testing.

Students who failed the course averaged just 47% on Hawkes homework, reinforcing the connection between engaging with the mastery-based work and overall success.

“The educational roadblocks that Hawkes Learning courseware solved for my classes were helping students to understand their mistakes, time spent on learning the material, and the confidence level of students with the subject matter.”

What Hawkes Solved

Professor Mobley identified three specific educational challenges that Hawkes Learning addressed:

1. Helping students understand their mistakes — The AI Tutor and tutoring aids in Learn and Practice mode guide students through errors in real time rather than leaving gaps unaddressed.
2. Time spent on learning the material — The structured model keeps students engaged with the content meaningfully, not just clicking through.
3. Student confidence with the subject matter — By requiring demonstrated mastery before progressing, Hawkes builds the kind of confidence that shows up on exam day.
   
   

Professor Mobley's Statistics students offered candid feedback on their experience with Hawkes Learning:

"I really enjoy Hawkes Learning. My favorite subject has always been math, but I have to say this is the easiest math I've ever had because of Hawkes Learning."

"Before starting this class, I was really nervous and knew I was going to struggle. Hawkes Learning has helped me succeed a lot and feel better about my math skills."

"I really love the way that it has a feature to help in every aspect. It really helps me understand the material and solve problems on my own."

"I like Hawkes Learning, and it is easier to learn from than other math platforms like ALEKS."

"It is the best learning platform I have used in my academic career. It is easy to use and explains the lessons well."

Key Takeaway

At East Carolina University, strong Hawkes Learning homework performance carried through to strong results on tests, the final exam, and in the course overall.

The data tells only part of the story. Students also reported feeling more confident, less anxious, and better able to understand mistakes and solve problems independently.

Photo Courtesy of ECU University Communications