Improving large class performance and engagement through student-generated question banks

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology education
• Undergraduate science pedagogy

Background:

• First-year university students often struggle with Biochemistry and Molecular Biology due to complex concepts beyond high school curricula.
• Surface learning strategies like memorization hinder the deep conceptual understanding required for advanced study in these fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a student-generated multiple-choice question activity on learning outcomes in a large first-year Molecular Biology course.
• To assess the relationship between student engagement with the activity and overall course performance.

Main Methods:

• Students created, answered, and evaluated multiple-choice questions linked to specific learning outcomes using an online platform.
• The study incorporated elements of self- and peer-assessment within the activity.
• Student engagement levels were analyzed in relation to performance on exam questions.

Main Results:

• A notable improvement in class performance was observed on exam questions related to concepts covered by student-generated questions compared to previous cohorts.
• Students with higher engagement in the question-creation activity showed significantly better performance on targeted exam questions.
• Performance on unrelated control questions remained similar across all student engagement levels.

Conclusions:

• Student-generated question activities, incorporating peer and self-assessment, can enhance deep learning and improve performance in challenging science subjects.
• Active engagement with generative learning tasks is crucial for academic success in undergraduate science courses.
• This pedagogical approach offers a scalable and effective method for improving student outcomes in large introductory science courses.