STLHE 2016 SAPES

Collaborative (2-stage) testing is an assessment strategy that has been shown to improve student performance on multiple-choice exams, and to increase short-term knowledge retention compared to traditional testing strategies (Gilley & Clarkston, 2014; Rao et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was therefore to determine if 2-stage testing improves student performance on long-answer questions and additionally, whether 2-stage testing increases long-term knowledge retention beyond one week, as these are areas that have not yet been addressed (Bloom, 2009; Cortright et al., 2003). Two undergraduate courses (Exercise Physiology, n = 94 and Biochemistry, n = 56) administered identical protocols involving an in-class 2-stage midterm containing multiple-choice (MC) and long-answer (LA) questions, an unannounced individual short-term retention test 1 week later that was followed by an instructor-led review of the midterm, and lastly a long-term retention test 6 weeks later. Performance was measured as the grade difference between the collaborative and individual midterms, and retention as the grade difference between each retention test and the individual midterm. 2-stage testing was found to significantly improve performance on both MC and LA questions (16.5% ± 1.29% vs. 20.6% ± 1.41%, p