Collaborative Two-Stage Exams Benefit Students in a Biology Laboratory Course

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Educational Assessment
• Collaborative Learning

Background:

• Summative assessments in higher education often lack opportunities for collaborative learning.
• Two-stage exams integrate individual and group work into a single assessment structure.
• Previous research suggests benefits of collaborative learning for student engagement and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of collaborative two-stage exams on student performance and perceptions in an upper-level biology laboratory course.
• To compare the effectiveness of online versus in-person two-stage exams.
• To investigate the influence of demographic factors, including students historically excluded from science (PEERs), on exam outcomes and perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of collaborative two-stage exams across two terms: one online and one in-person.
• Quantitative comparison of individual versus group exam performance.
• Analysis of student perceptions through closed- and open-ended survey questions.
• Comparison of outcomes across different demographic groups (PEER status, gender).

Main Results:

• Students performing in groups consistently outperformed those taking exams individually.
• Two-stage exams positively impacted overall student performance, with notable benefits for PEERs.
• Students reported generally positive perceptions of both the two-stage exam format and the group work component.
• No significant differences in perceptions were found based on PEER status or gender, but differences emerged related to exam term and format.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative two-stage exams are an effective pedagogical tool for enhancing student learning and engagement in biology.
• This assessment strategy has the potential to mitigate existing inequities in higher education, particularly for underrepresented student groups.
• The findings support the integration of group work into summative assessments to foster inclusive learning environments and improve academic outcomes.