Scalable Science Education via Online Cooperative Questioning.

Area of Science:

• Science Education
• Cognitive Science
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Developing deep conceptual understanding in science education is challenging, especially in large or resource-limited settings.
• Peer learning and online technologies offer scalability but often lack cognitive grounding.
• Integrating these approaches requires a principled design that fosters engagement and understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel design combining peer learning and online technologies for science education.
• To encourage beneficial cognitive engagement through student-authored questions and supporting activities.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of this design in an undergraduate biochemistry course.

Main Methods:

• Students authored multiple-choice questions for peers using the online platform PeerWise.
• Supporting activities were implemented to encourage beneficial cognitive engagement.
• The design was evaluated in a cohort of 632 undergraduate biochemistry students.

Main Results:

• A robust relationship was found between the quality of student-authored questions and learning outcomes.
• This relationship persisted even after controlling for students' prior academic performance.
• The findings support the effectiveness of the integrated peer learning and online questioning approach.

Conclusions:

• The novel design effectively combines peer learning and online technologies for scalable science education.
• Student-authored questions, when guided by cognitive principles, significantly impact learning outcomes.
• This approach offers practical and theoretical implications for improving science education and conceptual understanding.