Collaborative testing improves performance but not content retention in a large-enrollment introductory biology class

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Collaborative testing is a pedagogical strategy.
• Previous research indicates it boosts performance but not always retention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if collaborative testing improves both performance and content retention in introductory biology.
• To assess the impact of collaborative testing on student learning outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A large introductory biology course was used.
• Students were divided into groups based on prior exam performance.
• One group engaged in collaborative testing for Exam 2, the other for Exam 3.
• Individual and group scores were compared, along with performance on cumulative questions.

Main Results:

• Group test scores were significantly higher than individual scores.
• Despite higher group scores, collaborative testing did not improve performance on cumulative questions.
• Content retention, measured by cumulative questions on Exams 3 and 4, showed no significant difference between groups.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative testing enhances immediate exam performance.
• It does not appear to improve long-term content retention in this introductory biology course.
• Further research may explore variations in collaborative testing to enhance retention.