PROTOCOL: Collaborative Testing for Improving Student Learning Outcomes and Test‐Taking Performance in Higher Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The primary purpose of assessment in an instructional setting is twofold: to determine whether learners have achieved the stated objectives and learner outcomes described in the curriculum and to determine whether educators meet those learning objectives in the classroom. Assessment, quite often, is administered in the form of a written or computerized test or exam. An exam is a measurement instrument designed to measure knowledge and understanding of defined content (Gaberson, 2008). Testing is an important activity for the learner as the learner needs to identify how they performed on the test, and whether test results allow them to progress in their program (Sainsbury & Walker, 2008). Testing is also important for the educator. Testing is a means to identify whether teaching is effective and how well the student comprehends the material. Because testing is a "high-stakes" (Hoachlander, 1998) activity in which students must offer their best performance, it can be anxiety provoking and can negatively affect their performance. There are many reasons why students might underperform on tests, including poor performance related to test anxiety, poor study skills, improper test preparation, language difficulties, and the presence of cultural bias through poorly written questions (Lusk & Conklin, 2003). There is little empirical evidence available on the validity of various testing formats, yet educators still rely heavily on traditional individual testing as a method of evaluation or assessment (Halstead, 2007). An additional complicating factor is that all tests have error; without conducting a proper item analysis, poorly constructed or unvalidated tests can inaccurately reflect student knowledge (Gaberson, 2008). Because of the many disadvantages inherent in traditional testing, alternate testing methods have been explored. One of these is collaborative testing, a relatively recent modality that is becoming more frequently utilized as an alternative. Collaborative Testing The intervention that will be examined in this review is collaborative testing. Collaborative testing is a method in which students work together while taking a written evaluative exam. Collaborative, or cooperative, testing is an umbrella term used to describe a test method different from traditional or individualized testing. Collaborative testing has been utilized in undergraduate, graduate, and post graduate settings. Collaborative testing, which is a student-centered, active learning approach, is also referred to as group testing, double testing, paired testing, cooperative testing, and dyad testing (Centrella-Nigro, 2012). Group testing is the term utilized when a test is administered to more than two students. Generally, in group testing the group consists of three to six students (Centrella-Nigro, 2012; Leight, Saunders, Calkins, & Withers, 2012; Wiggs, 2011). The terms dyad or paired testing are utilized when students are paired with a partner to take an exam (Centrella-Nigro, 2012;

The Dark Side of Narrow Gamification: Negative Impact of Assessment Gamification on Student Perceptions and Content Knowledge

“…In higher education, students are exposed to high levels of stress and anxiety revolving around their performance in assessments, such as quizzes, reports, and exams (Kapitanoff 2009, Dahlström 2012, Cantwell et al 2017, Johanns et al 2017, Levine et al 2017, Khansari and Coyne 2018. In this research, we apply gamification on the course element of assessment activities with a reward structure that connects them toward midterm and final exams to explore its effects on students' content knowledge and perceptions on satisfaction, experience, learning, and impact of teaching methods.…”

Los exámenes cooperativos en la educación superior: un enfoque desde la perspectiva del estudiante

“…Estos aspectos aparecen replicados en Leight, Saunders, Calkins, y Withers (2012) y Cantwell et al (2017). Ambos grupos de investigadores mencionan que los estudiantes perciben que aprenden mejor en los exámenes cooperativos y exhiben mejores puntajes que en las pruebas individuales.…”

“…La evaluación también es importante para el educador. La evaluación es un medio para identificar si la enseñanza es efectiva y qué tan bien el alumno comprende el material (Cantwell, Sousou, Jadotte, Pierce y Akioyamen, 2017).…”

A learner's journey towards a chemical engineering degree

“…[57][58][59] Tests or exams often elicit anxiety in students, which interferes with their learning due to factors within (e.g., time management, preparation) and outside (poorly written or culturally biased questions) their control. [60,61] Collaborative assessments have been shown to provide some relief from this anxiety. [62,63] However, it may still be important to extract each student's individual understanding of course material through a given assessment.…”

“…[ 57–59 ] Tests or exams often elicit anxiety in students, which interferes with their learning due to factors within (e.g., time management, preparation) and outside (poorly written or culturally biased questions) their control. [ 60,61 ]…”