Collaborative Exams Research Articles

Benefits and Challenges of Peer Interaction in Calculus Group Exams: Perspectives of Latina/Hispanic & Mixed Race Women

Collaborative assessment techniques are needed to align with shifting approaches to learning that center peer interaction. Furthermore, it is critical to understand how collaborative assessments work for students belonging to historically marginalized groups. This study reports the perspectives of four mixed race and Latina/Hispanic women regarding peer interaction and group exams in university mathematics courses. Three primary themes emerged from interviews: (a) benefits of communication during group exams, (b) challenges of working with peers during group exams, and (c) consideration of gender balance when assigning exam groups. These findings have implications for how college instructors implement collaborative exams in intentional ways that benefit students.

Effects of Changing Veterinary Handling Techniques on Canine Behaviour and Physiology Part 1: Physiological Measurements.

Signs of distress in dogs are often normalized during routine veterinary care, creating an animal welfare concern. We sought to test whether targeted interventions during veterinary visits affect physiological indicators of stress in dogs. Some 28 dogs were examined within four visits across 8 weeks. All dogs received the same care during the first visit and were then randomized into control and intervention groups for visits 2-4. In the intervention group, 14 dogs underwent procedures designed to reduce stress and to enlist their collaboration during examination. The 14 dogs in the control group received routine care. At each visit, heart rate (HR), serum cortisol (CORT), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and creatine kinase (CK) were measured. A composite stress index based on the summed standardized scores for these markers was constructed. No differences in HR, NLR, and CK parameters between groups were found, and both groups had a decrease in CORT by visit four. However, the intervention group showed a greater overall decrease in CORT between the first and fourth visit than the control group (p < 0.04). The composite stress index differed between the first and fourth visits for the intervention group, but not for the control group (Intervention p = 0.03; Control p= 0.288). There was a tendency for the composite stress index to worsen at visit four vs. visit one for the control group. The findings suggest that dogs that participated in adaptive, collaborative exams and procedures designed to minimize fear had a greater reduction in stress over time compared to those receiving standard care.

How gender composition and group formation impact the effectiveness of group work in two-stage collaborative exams

Two-stage collaborative exams are an increasingly popular form of formative assessment which have shown promising results in promoting student learning. While the benefit of two-stage collaborative exams is well researched, there is no clear consensus on the best way of implementing them—specifically with respect to forming student groups. In some studies students self-select their groups, and in others they are assigned by the instructor (either randomly or with a specific grouping algorithm). Research has shown that performance and satisfaction in group learning situations improves when faculty, not students, select the groups. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that students’ learning benefits from working in groups with diverse learning styles, abilities, gender, and race. In this study, we report on a controlled experiment conducted during a two-stage collaborative exam in an introductory physics course at Harvard University. For the group stage of the exam, half of the groups were formed by the instructor (based on balancing gender and performance on previous exams) and the other half were student selected. We compared performance on both the individual and group stage of the exam for the instructor-formed versus student-formed groups. We also surveyed students on their experiences during the group exam. We found that female students perform better on two-part collaborative exams when they are in student-formed groups. We also found that in the student-formed groups students (especially female students) felt more comfortable speaking up and felt that their groups were both “more effective and productive” and “more receptive to their ideas” than in the instructor-formed groups. This study provides important insights into best practice implementation of two-stage collaborative exams.Received 25 August 2022Accepted 28 October 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020137Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasInstructional strategiesLearning environmentPhysics Education Research

Leaders and Followers Identified by Emotional Mimicry During Collaborative Learning: A Facial Expression Recognition Study on Emotional Valence

This article explores the potential of emotional mimicry in identifying the leader and follower students in collaborative learning settings. Our data include video recorded interactions of 24 high school students who worked together in groups of three during a collaborative exam. A facial emotions recognition method was used to capture participants’ facial emotions during the collaborative work. Cross-recurrence quantification analysis was applied on the detected facial emotions to see the level and direction of emotional mimicry among the dyads in the same groups. In order to validate the cross-recurrence quantification analysis results, student interactions in terms of leading or following the task were video coded. Our findings showed that the leaders and followers identified by cross-recurrence quantification analysis findings matched the leaders and followers identified by the video coding in 70 percent of the dyadic interactions across the collaborating groups. The current findings show that video-based facial emotions recognition as a method can add to collaborative learning research, especially explaining some social, and affective dynamics about it. The study further discusses the possible variables that might confound the relationship between emotional mimicry and leader-follower interactions during collaboration.

‘We should google that’: the dynamics of knowledge-in-interaction in an online student meeting

ABSTRACT This paper takes a multimodal conversation analytic approach to explore knowledge-in-interaction in a technology-mediated online environment (Skype videoconference) during a meeting between eight university students studying to become language teachers. The analysis considers the ways in which the student-teachers demonstrate their knowledge or understanding of telecollaborative project-based language learning while taking part in a telecollaborative exchange themselves. Given the growing predominance of online teaching and learning, it is increasingly relevant to have a deep understanding of the ongoing learner interaction that takes place in these environments, particularly considering that interaction can be understood as a trajectory of knowledge building. The study examines how the student-teachers make use of the different technological features of a videoconferencing platform to manage the assigned task, which is to complete a collaborative exam. These features include camera, shared links, parallel text chats and editing tools. Findings imply that the student-teachers sequentially organise their knowledge synthesis and co-construction of pedagogical understanding through technologically-supported mutually coordinated interaction. Although the analysis is contextually bound, the task-focused interaction that is highlighted is relevant to higher education teachers in a variety of contexts, apart from teacher education.

The Use of Collaborative Testing in Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education: A Retrospective Case Report

Background. Collaborative testing involves small groups of students working together through discussion and rationalization to answer test questions. This form of testing has been found to enrich the learning experience, facilitate questioning, discussions, and debate within groups, as well as improve student performance, learning and retention, communication, and teamwork. Despite the many reported benefits, no literature exists on the use of collaborative testing in physical therapist education. Purpose. The purpose of this retrospective case report was to highlight student performance and feedback on a collaborative, comprehensive final exam. Case Description. One cohort of entry-level physical therapist students who had participated in a two-step collaborative final exam were included. Mean values for both the individual and the collaborative exam, percent change between the individual and collaborative exam, as well as student feedback on the benefits and drawbacks were reported. Outcomes. Exam performance increased for all students from the individual exam to the collaborative exam with a mean percent change of 12%. Students reported benefits such as the facilitation of valuable discussions, reinforcement of content, facilitation of critical thinking, insight into test-taking strategy, and reduced stress. Drawbacks included feelings of uncertainty on the accuracy of group discussions and answer selection, the lack of equitable contributions between group members, the time commitment required to take a collaborative exam, and increased stress. Conclusions. Collaborative testing should be considered as an assessment strategy within physical therapist education. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of collaborative assessment, including learning, retention, and critical thinking.

A Conceptualization of Online Collaborative English Learning for Undergraduate Students in the New Normal Post Covid-19 Era

Changing the way of learning process during the pandemic have made a point to find an appropriate approach in online leaning. This study aims to analyze language learning process in the first year of the pandemic, where the language needs a practice in the process of learning. In other words, language learning really requires direct interaction, this condition is added that not all colleges are ready for online learning either through LMS or other online forms which are already familiar by offline interactions. This study uses qualitative descriptive with deeply observations during the classes, and used the diffusion of innovation by Rogers which consists on stages of innovation. The research found the conceptualization of learning through online-collaborative, and using the online collaborative exam between groups has proven the willingness in interactive e-learning language and to be able to improve the competence of language skills, both listening, writing, reading, and speaking which are needed in the language process of university students whose vocabulary and English are still unfamiliar used in the introduction in each course in Indonesia

Two-Stage Collaborative Exams have Little Impact on Subsequent Exam Performance in Undergraduate Mathematics

In this paper, I investigate whether two-stage exams aid learning in undergraduate mathematics, as measured by students’ performance on subsequent exams. In a two-stage exam, students complete the exam individually then form into groups to solve it again, with grades based on a combination of the two stages. Previous research in other disciplines has found mixed results about their effect on subsequent performance, and little is known about their use in undergraduate mathematics. Here, I report on three studies which investigate the use of two-stage exams in different undergraduate mathematics contexts. The first two studies replicate observational methods from previous research, and find indications of a positive impact from group collaboration. The third study is experimental and finds that, in a delayed post-test, there is no difference in performance between students who answered related questions in a two-stage exam format and a control group which had no collaborative second stage. The findings suggest that two-stage exams may have little impact on longer-term learning of mathematics, but instructors may still wish to use them to emphasise a collaborative classroom pedagogy.

Penn State College of Medicine.

Penn State College of Medicine.

Implementing Collaborative Mock Exam Review

Implementing Collaborative Mock Exam Review

How does monitoring set the stage for adaptive regulation or maladaptive behavior in collaborative learning?

In collaborative learning situations, monitoring is needed to maintain common progress toward shared goals. The present study aimed to analyze group-level monitoring events, as well as groups’ reactions to these events, to identify instances of adaptive regulation and maladaptive behavior. Three dimensions of monitoring events were qualitatively coded from video data: the monitoring target, valence, and phase, which provided insight into identifying critical moments during the collaborative process when regulation is needed. By looking at what kind of monitoring the groups engaged in, and how the groups progressed after the need for regulation arose, different types of adaptive regulation and maladaptive behavior were distinguished. In addition, group-level physiological state transitions in the heart rate were explored to see whether changes in regulation (adaptive regulation and maladaptive behavior) were reflected in the state transitions. Nine groups of three students each participated in a collaborative exam for an advanced high school physics course, during which video and heart rate data were collected. The results showed that on-track sequences were the most common, followed by adaptive sequences. The temporality of these sequences was examined, and four categories of group progress are described with case examples. A correlation analysis showed that physiological state transitions were positively correlated with on-track sequences. The opportunities and limitations of using three dimensions of monitoring and heart-rate based physiological state transitions to study adaptive regulation are discussed.

Collaborative Exams to Promote Significant Learning in University Students in the Subjects of Cell Biology and Biochemistry

Some teachers and researchers share the concern that one of the main obstacles involved in learning theoretical subjects, such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry or Biological Sciences, is the little practical sense that the student sees in them. Also, at the time of evaluation, there is a great concern about the amount of information that must be understood or retained generating anxiety, stress, confusion, among other factors. Therefore, it is important to create collaborative learning strategies that encourage student interactions, promoting peer education to achieve meaningful learning.ObjectiveKnow if collaborative exams promote significant learning in the subjects of Cell Biology and Biochemistry.Materials and methods107 university students from two biology and two biochemistry groups were considered. During a semester the subjects were taught following the programmatic content of each one, the subjects were biased, and exercises were applied between pairs of review, in addition 3 exams were applied collaboratively (in pairs or teams of 3). At the end of the semester, an adapted survey by Stokes, J. (2019) was applied, with questions aimed at assessing perceived learning, knowledge retention, peer‐to‐peer teaching experience and feelings towards group work.Results94.9% of the students stated that they like to take collaborative exams, 91% consider collaborative exams to be a valuable learning activity and 92.3% mention that they helped them retain knowledge due to the interaction generated in the Time to decide the correct answer.ConclusionsCollaborative exams are a peer learning strategy that can lead to meaningful learning, as well as helping to retain knowledge in subjects that are theoretical or even theoretical practical, improving their academic performance.Support or Funding InformationResearch supported and endorsed by the Michoacana University of San Nicolás of Hidalgo

Are we together or not? The temporal interplay of monitoring, physiological arousal and physiological synchrony during a collaborative exam

The coordination of cognitive and non-cognitive interactive processes contributes to successful collaboration in groups, but it is hard to evidence in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). Monitoring is a metacognitive process that can be an indicator of a student’s ability to recognize success or failure in collaboration. This study focuses on how monitoring occurs in CSCL during a collaborative exam situation by examining how individual student contributions to monitoring processes are related to physiological synchrony and physiological arousal in groups. The participants were organized in four groups of three members each, and they wore sensors that measured their physiological activity. The data consist of video recordings from collaborative exam sessions lasting 90 minutes and physiological data captured from each student with Empatica 4.0 sensors. The video data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify monitoring events. Students’ physiological arousal was determined through peak detection, and physiological concordance was used as an index for the students’ physiological synchrony. The individual and group level analysis investigated arousal and physiological synchrony in concordance with monitoring during the collaborative exam. The results showed that, in each group, each student contributed to joint monitoring. In addition, the monitoring activities exhibited a significant correlation with the arousal, indicating that monitoring events are reflected in physiological arousal. Physiological synchrony occurred within two groups, which experienced difficulties during the collaborative exam, whereas the two groups who had no physiological synchrony did not experience difficulties. It is concluded that physiological synchrony may be a new indicator for recognizing meaningful events in CSCL

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PERCEPTION OF COLLABORATIVE GROUP EXAMS IN A FIRST-YEAR ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY COURSE

Two-stage collaborative exams have previously been shown to improve students’ understanding and long-term retention of material, while helping to develop collaborative skills. Very little work has been done, however, on the impact of this practice on international students, who may be faced with particular challenges or contexts.. Building on previous work, the perception of first-year international students in an engineering chemistry course offered as part of the Vantage College Applied Science program at UBC regarding the practice of two-stage exams was assessed before and after participating in one for the first time. Although the experience was overall very positive, and the anticipated difficulties of the midterm seemed to be overestimated, several key challenges must be addressed before deciding whether to continue with this practice as part of this program, namely communication barriers preventing the effective participation of all group members, and a structural competitiveness that may discourage collaboration, both of which are inherent to the Vantage APSC program, as well as frustration associated with mixed technical proficiencies of group members, which is a more typical concern associated with this type of assessment.

Collaborative assessments in computer science education: A survey

As computer science enrollments continue to surge, assessments that involve student collaboration may play a more critical role in improving student learning. We provide a review on some of the most commonly adopted collaborative assessments in computer science, including pair programming, collaborative exams, and group projects. Existing research on these assessment formats is categorized and compared. We also discuss potential future research topics on the aforementioned collaborative assessment formats.

The top 10 things to know about transfusion medicine before intern year: an evidence-based course for graduating medical students.

BackgroundTransfusion medicine (TM) knowledge varies widely among physician trainees. In addition, there have been few instances in which curricular changes have been meaningfully assessed for TM education in medical school.MethodsWe created and presented a novel lecture to improve TM knowledge for graduating medical students using eight objectives designed to reinforce critical information about blood management. Each objective was coded according to unique color schemes, fonts, and graphics to create visual associations while quickly and clearly presenting complex concepts. The validated BEST Collaborative exam was used to measure changes in student TM knowledge, while a survey was conducted to gauge changes in confidence for each objective. Students were asked to submit anonymous feedback about their experiences.ResultsThe mean student post-course exam score was 50.0%, while the pre-course baseline score was 27.5% (P<0.0001). Mean confidence levels increased significantly for all objectives. Student feedback was universally positive.ConclusionThis study improved knowledge and confidence for graduating medical students by utilizing engaging and visually stimulating presentations to display high-impact TM material. However, further efforts are needed to optimize learning.

Retention following Two-Stage Collaborative Exams Depends on Timing and Student Performance.

Multistage collaborative exams are implemented to enhance learning and retention of course material. However, the effects of multistage collaborative exams on retention of course content are varied. These discrepancies may be due to a number of factors. To date, studies examining collaborative exams and content retention have used questions that all, or mostly, require students to select an answer, rather than generate one of their own. However, content retention can improve when students generate their own responses. Thus, we examined the effect of collaborative exams with open-ended questions on retention of course content. Retention was measured at two time periods; one relatively shortly (9 days) following a collaborative exam and another over a longer time period (23 days). Furthermore, we examined whether content retention differed for low-, mid-, or high-­performing students. Our results suggest that collaborative exams offer retention benefits at relatively long time periods between pre- and posttests, but not over shorter time periods. Retention varied across students in different performance categories. Our study, the first to use only open-ended questions, showed relatively small effects compared with studies using multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank format, but still suggest that collaborative exams can aid in content retention.

Collaborative Exams in an Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Classroom Enhance Students' Perceived Learning and Knowledge Retention

Collaborative learning activities in the classroom encourage student interactions, promote peer‐to‐peer teaching, and increase learning and knowledge retention. Summative assessments, such as individual course exams, are necessary to evaluate student knowledge and level of understanding of course content, but they can also be used as a valuable teaching tool. Human anatomy and physiology courses, even at the undergraduate level, require that students retain information throughout the course in order to grasp the integrative nature of human anatomy and physiology in health and disease and its core concepts. This initial report examines the use of collaborative testing in an undergraduate‐level anatomy and physiology course at a primarily undergraduate institution. Nineteen students enrolled in Human Anatomy and Physiology I took part in the initial study. The students first completed the regularly scheduled course exams individually and on the following day the students completed the same exam in pre‐assigned groups of three to four students. Following the final collaborative exam the students completed a survey which asked questions aimed at assessing their perceived learning, knowledge retention, peer‐to‐peer teaching experience, and feelings towards group work. This survey asked the student to evaluate the collaborative exams using a standard Likert scale where 1 indicated “strongly disagree” and 5 indicated “strongly agree”. Mean student performance on the collaborative exams was significantly better when compared to the individual exams (Exam I: 75.9 ± 13.0% vs. 90.4 ± 2.8%, p&lt;0.001; Exam II: 80.3 ± 15.5% vs. 93.3 ± 4.3%, p=0.003). Survey results indicate that the collaborative exams were an overall positive experience that improved perceived student learning and retention. Specifically, 90% or more of the students responded with a score of a 4 (somewhat agree) or 5 (strongly agree) in regards to the following statements: 1) After the collaborative exam, I often better understood the exam material; 2) The collaborative exams reinforced the course material and/or major learning objectives; and, 3) The collaborative exams helped me retain information throughout the course. Additionally, 68% or more of the students responded with a score of a 4 or 5 in regards to the following statements: 1) I enjoyed learning from my peers during the collaborative exams; and, 2) The collaborative exams support the practice of group study and collaborative thinking. Finally, 90% of the students responded with a score of a 4 or 5 to the following statement: I think that the collaborative exams are a valuable learning activity. Based on these results, this student cohort supports the use of collaborative exams as a teaching tool and rates them highly in terms of peer‐to‐peer teaching, learning, and knowledge retention. Future studies will assess student learning and knowledge retention by repeating selected questions, which focus on the core concepts in physiology, on subsequent exams.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

An Online Learning Platform for Teaching, Learning and Assessment of Programming

Assessment can be seen as the engine that drives student course activity, online or off. It is particularly important in encouraging and shaping collaborative activity online. This paper discusses three sorts of online collaborative activity—collaborative discussion, small group collaboration, and collaborative exams. In each of these areas, it provides both theoretical grounding and practical advice for assessing, and so encouraging, collaboration in online courses.

ASSESSMENT AND COLLABORATION IN ONLINE LEARNING

Assessment can be seen as the engine that drives student course activity, online or off. It is particularly important in encouraging and shaping collaborative activity online. This paper discusses three sorts of online collaborative activity—collaborative discussion, small group collaboration, and collaborative exams. In each of these areas, it provides both theoretical grounding and practical advice for assessing, and so encouraging, collaboration in online courses.