Introductory courses in mathematics and physical sciences are challenging for students and often have lower success rates than other comparable courses. In online courses, this is compounded by students employing surface learning strategies. Furthermore, it has been shown that students often do not utilize learning materials that are provided in the structured course modules, such as lecture videos. To combat this problem, we have implemented two different solutions to improve student engagement and retention of knowledge in courses in general chemistry and precalculus. First, using the Quick Check tool in our learning management system (LMS), we have incorporated auto-graded questions that students answer directly after viewing the course materials. These aim to promote the viewing of course materials beyond homework and quizzes, including engagement with course lecture videos. Second, using an online proctoring option integrated into our LMS, we have moved to increase the extent to which exams are proctored. This encourages students to engage in more frequent reinforcement prior to exams as they will not be able to access external information sources. We show that these measures led to greater improvement in student performance between the midterm and final exam, particularly on application questions. However, the incorporation of Quick Check questions reduced student performance on formative assessments particularly on more challenging topics. The implications are discussed in terms of cognitive load theory.