ERIC Number: EJ784813
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Jan
Pages: 5
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0098-6283
EISSN: N/A
Anticipated Group versus Individual Examinations: A Classroom Comparison
Woody, William Douglas; Woody, Lisa K.; Bromley, Susan
Teaching of Psychology, v35 n1 p13-17 Jan 2008
Instructors across disciplines continue to seek methods to improve students' retention of class material. One potential method for increasing retention is the use of collaborative, or group, testing. We tested the hypothesis that group testing would lead to greater retention than individual testing. Two instructors, teaching 2 sections of their respective courses, alternated testing formats across the 2 courses. Participants were 147 students from 4 separate undergraduate psychology courses (2 per instructor). Participants taking the group test initially scored higher than those taking the individual test. However, after 3 weeks, with retesting on a subset of questions, there was no significant difference in retention between group versus individual test takers. These findings call into question the value of collaborative testing. (Contains 2 tables, 2 notes and 1 footnote.)
Descriptors: Individual Testing, Group Testing, Psychology, Teaching Methods, Classroom Techniques, Intermode Differences, Comparative Testing, Undergraduate Students, Retention (Psychology), Mnemonics
Lawrence Erlbaum. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/default.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A