ERIC Number: EJ1452135
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: EISSN-1943-4898
Assessing and Refining Group Take-Home Exams as Authentic, Effective Learning Experiences
Corey M. Johnson; Kimberly A. Green; Betty J. Galbraith; Carol M. Anelli
Journal of College Science Teaching, v44 n5 p61-71 2015
The learning goals of a lower division honors course, Science as a Way of Knowing, include critical thinking, scientific literacy, quantitative reasoning, communication, and teamwork. To help students develop skills and competencies for the course learning outcomes, we used a case study and developed scaffolded activities and assignments that targeted discipline-relevant tasks, for example, primary literature search, evaluation of source credibility, hypothesis construction, data interpretation, and restatement of scientific content into lay terminology. We then implemented group take-home exams, which feature rigorous, open-ended questions in authentic contexts, requiring students to apply knowledge and competencies cooperatively to new situations. Data from five semesters show that, in comparison to traditional exams, many students feel that group take home exams reduce test anxiety, foster interpersonal skills, are more rigorous, and better enable them to apply and synthesize knowledge and deepen their comprehension of the subject matter. Our study augments research on group exams that use an open-ended response format.
Descriptors: Tests, Evaluation Methods, Student Evaluation, Authentic Learning, Instructional Effectiveness, Honors Curriculum, Science Instruction, Skill Development, Competence, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Learning Activities, Student Attitudes, Test Anxiety, Interpersonal Relationship, College Students, Teaching Methods, Cooperative Learning, Relevance (Education)
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A