With the end of the semester looming, how often have you begun class wondering where the students have gone? Does it seem like the first day of class had every seat filled, but now there are a lot more seats open? That used
“This is going to be very casual,” I tell each student at the beginning of their neurophysiology oral exam. “I’m going to ask you some questions; feel free to take your time and reference your notes.” My experience with oral exams began in high
Before March 2020, I believed firmly that frequent, in-class quizzes were a way to ensure students had prepared for class and had some understanding of the material. In fact, I was notorious for pop quizzes, although I did make it a practice of dropping the
1. I call my quizzes “knowledge checks.” The name emphasizes the primary purpose of the quiz—to discover what the student has not mastered in the assigned material. Students do not associate the word “quiz” with my formative intentions so I avoid using it.
2. Both my
How can you infuse your classes with lively, productive experiences that nurture awake and alert minds in your students? What sort of instructional practices prime students to be cognitively active “learners on the go”?
It’s your turn to take one. Find the answer key at the bottom (no peeking).
We’re ready to share responses to our call for insights, experiences, and opinions on quizzes. You can expect to see them over the course of the next several weeks. I’ll start here with an overview of the issues to consider if you want to start
Multiple-choice questions get a bad rap, and it is easy to see why. Most do not assess higher-order thinking—you either know the answer or you don’t. And if you do know the correct choice, it does not reveal depth of knowledge. So how can we
Face-to-face instructors who give in-class exams have a challenge when moving their courses online: How to ensure that students do not cheat on the exams by collaborating? Different methods have been developed to address the problem. For instance, institutions can send each student a 360-degree
Like many faculty members, I started teaching as a subject matter expert without a formal background in education. My examination questions were either based on questions I recall from my personal experience as an undergraduate or questions provided to me by more senior faculty. Since
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With the end of the semester looming, how often have you begun class wondering where the students have gone? Does it seem like the first day of class had every seat filled, but now there are a lot more seats open? That used to be my experience, but I have found that providing a group final at the end of the semester has been a game-changer for student motivation. Even at the end of the semester, students attend class, engage with the material, and help their groupmates master difficult concepts to earn the right to participate in the group final.
In addition to enhancing motivation across the semester, group final exams offer two key learning opportunities: (1) engaging in deeper learning about the course content and (2) practicing transferrable workplace skills. First, group final exams provide opportunities for students to test their knowledge of challenging course concepts as they justify their answer choices and evaluate peers’ suggested answers against their own understanding to reach an agreement. Second, working toward consensus allows students to practice workplace skills that are in high demand by employers, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication (Finley, 2021).
The group final in my course consists of two parts: an individual assessment and a group assessment. First, students take the final exam on their own within 60 to 75 minutes. They receive no feedback on their performance after the individual exam. Once all individual exams are submitted, students convene in their semester-long groups throughout the classroom to complete the group portion of the exam. During this portion, groups must reach a consensus answer for each question; in other words, each student must propose an answer and provide justification for it, then the group must agree on what their single answer should be. Because students have already taken the exam once individually, they usually complete the group portion in 25 to 30 minutes. The independent final exam score contributes to 70 percent of the student’s final exam score, while the group exam score contributes 30 percent.
In my class, having the opportunity to take the group final is a privilege that is available to all students who meet the requirements. For example, I value highly interactive, collaborative classroom environments in which groups of three to four students teach each other in groups and work to solve complex problems; thus, I assign students to permanent groups at the beginning of the semester so they develop supportive and collaborative relationships with their group members through preparation for group activities. Students reflect these values and meet the eligibility criteria by attending class, bringing the appropriate assignments for the day, and investing in group members’ success by asking questions, teaching each other, and working to develop consensus answers for their assignments. When developing your own eligibility criteria, ponder the type of class environment you want to develop during the semester, and choose criteria that will contribute to building that class atmosphere. I recommend explaining these criteria to the students early in the semester and frequently reminding students about them.
About two weeks before the semester ends, my students and I evaluate group performance on the criteria above. First, students individually evaluate each other. Next, groups confer and decide whether anyone in their group should be removed prior to the group final exam. If they decide to remove a group member, they must use the class criteria to justify the decision to me. If I approve the group’s decision, it is the group’s responsibility to inform the removed group member. During this stage, it is also possible for an individual to opt out of the group final exam. Finally, student eligibility for the group final exam must be determined before the last day of class so that students can prepare appropriately as an individual and with their groups. Ineligible students complete the individual exam only, which counts for 100 percent of their final exam score.
Among my students, feedback on group final exams has been overwhelmingly positive, and comments frequently address positive impacts on motivation, such as the following:
While students complete the group exam, the classroom brims with their synergistic and collaborative energy. They smile and sometimes laugh, which I find rewarding because I think learning should be enjoyable.
From my experience offering the group exam opportunity for eight years, here is some advice to ensure that the process goes well for you:
I will always offer the group final opportunity to students. It changes the assessment process from a high-stakes stressful nightmare to a positive learning experience. As an educator, I focus on weaving the theme of failure can be an effective teacher throughout the course. Offering students a second chance to demonstrate proficiency on the final shows them that they can learn from their mistakes and grow. Of all the lessons I want students to take away from my class, this is the most important one for life.
Finley, A. (2021). How college contributes to workforce success: Employer views on what matters most. Association of American Colleges and Universities. https://dgmg81phhvh63.cloudfront.net/content/user-photos/Research/PDFs/AACUEmployerReport2021.pdf
Heather Wilson-Ashworth, PhD, is a professor of biology at Utah Valley University. Her research interests include studying the issues influencing student success, retention, and motivation, emphasizing understanding the complexities that underrepresented students face in STEM. She is the recipient of multiple teaching awards.