Evidence drives every aspect of Codon’s work—from designs grounded in the literature to our efficacy studies
Codon has designed the first biology platform that implements backward design and high-structure course design, as well as insights from the cognitive science literature on metacognition and self-regulated learning.
These foci have led to the following efficacy studies.
Study #1:
Codon’s Study Path dramatically reduces failure rates in a high structure course.
IRB-approved Research Studies
In a first semester General Biology course that enrolls primarily freshmen, students who rarely used the Study Path had a roughly 60% chance of passing while frequent users were almost certain to pass. This analysis controlled for the grades that students had received in other courses that semester, meaning that the difference in success was due to differences in Codon’s Study Path use, not differences in ability, preparation, or motivation. n = 654
Study in collaboration with Drs. Emma Feeney, Shauna Price, and Kristin de Nesnera at the Loyola University of Chicago. Data collected Fall 2024 and Fall 2025.
To measure incoming preparation in a freshman genetics course, students took a pre-test (the GCA) in week 1. The authors of the study then analyzed how students’ use of Codon’s Study Path predicted their score on each exam. Less-prepared students had a roughly 50% chance of earning a passing exam score when they used Codon’s Study Path infrequently. But when they used the Study Path regularly, gaps in passing rates between students with different levels of preparation almost disappeared. n = 436
Study #2:
Codon’s Study Path helps less-prepared students catch up with their peers.
Codon’s Study Path improves course grades for all students.
To look at data from the same study a different way, the authors disaggregated student data by letter grade. The data graphed here show that high Study Path use leads to improved learning outcomes for all students, regardless of prior preparation.
Figure 1: Students with high Study Path use are more likely to pass, regardless of their incoming preparation.
The analysis includes data across three semesters in a first-year Molecular Biology and Genetics course. See full study here: Hazlett, Z. S., Jimenez, P. C., & Knight, J. K. (2025). Self-Testing and Follow-Through of Learning Strategies Supports Student Success. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 24(1), ar16.
Individual Course Results
