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A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
Published on: September 4, 2019
PeerWise: An Exploration of a Student-moderated Resource to Improve Exam Performance
Alison Bell1, Maclain Capron2, Rebecca Sinko1
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Thomas Jefferson University, 901 Walnut Street, 6th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107 USA.
Medical Science Educator
|May 25, 2026
Summary
PeerWise, a free tool, enhances student exam performance in foundational science courses by enabling question generation and peer rating. High-quality authored questions consistently correlate with improved academic outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Health Professions Education
- Educational Technology
Background:
- PeerWise is an online tool facilitating collaborative learning through student-generated multiple-choice questions.
- Its application in foundational science courses within occupational and physical therapy curricula is explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of using PeerWise on student exam performance in occupational and physical therapy foundational science courses.
- To assess student satisfaction with the PeerWise platform.
Main Methods:
- 413 students across six courses (neuroscience, anatomy, kinesiology) participated.
- Students generated, answered, and rated multiple-choice questions using PeerWise.
- Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis H Tests, Bonferroni post-hoc, and multiple linear regression; student satisfaction was surveyed.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant improvements in exam performance were observed in three of the six courses.
- Authoring highly rated questions correlated with better exam outcomes in OT neuroscience (p=0.001) and OT anatomy/kinesiology (p=0.002) courses.
- Each point increase in the score for authoring highly rated questions improved PT neuroscience exam grades by 0.092 points (p=0.007).
Conclusions:
- Authoring high-quality questions on PeerWise is consistently linked to enhanced student exam performance.
- The PeerWise tool demonstrates high student satisfaction and a low administrative burden for faculty.
- PeerWise is a valuable, cost-effective resource for supporting student academic achievement in health science programs.
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