The Impact of Collaborative Testing in Graduate Nursing Education

Collaborative testing is an educational strategy that allows students to work in teams when completing an examination.

Twenty-eight family nurse practitioner students took four course examinations individually and collaboratively. Five comprehensive questions were included on the fourth examination. A survey was administered at the end of the course, with permission.

All collaborative test scores were higher than the traditional test scores (traditional mean range = 80.78 [8.53] to 84.07 [7.41], collaborative mean range = 93.54 [3.77] to 94.07 [2.80], all p values < .001). Students did not demonstrate significant changes in mean scores for cumulative content on test four. Directed content analysis revealed four themes: Enhanced Understanding of Content, Collaboration With Classmates, Socialization, and Improved Grades.

In graduate nursing education, collaborative testing may be an effective strategy to improve teamwork and communication skills, enrich relationships, and enhance critical thinking. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(6):357-359.].