School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2021 Jan;49(1):69-79. doi: 10.1002/bmb.21392. Epub 2020 Jun 30.
Examinations present an intensely focused opportunity for student learning yet opportunities for collaboration, communication, and feedbacks are often wasted. Two-stage examinations where students first take examinations individually and then repeat the examination in small groups hold promise to address this issue. Here, we pilot and evaluate a two-stage examination within an advanced undergraduate biomedical sciences course. We evaluated this innovation by triangulation of data from a questionnaire, semi-structured student interviews, as well as, comparison of student grades between stages of examination across higher- and lower-performing student groups. Quantitative data from the structured questionnaire showed that a majority of students perceived the collaborative stage of two-stage examinations successful in promoting peer collaboration and communication. Furthermore, there was deepened conceptual understanding and provision of immediate feedback. The two-stage examination did not, however, ameliorate students' test anxiety. Qualitative data from semi-structured student interviews were consistent with quantitative data to show that a two-stage examination provides positive impact particularly on immediate feedback, peer collaboration and communication but contributed to sustained test anxiety possibly due to negative experiences during group interactions. Both lower- and higher-performing students showed improvement in the collaborative stage as compared to the preceding individual stage of two-stage examination. This would suggest possible benefits of two-stage examination for learning for all student abilities. This study discusses the advantages and pitfalls of two-stage examinations for biomedical sciences and will guide informed recommendations for subsequent implementation elsewhere.
考试为学生学习提供了一个高度集中的机会，但合作、交流和反馈的机会往往被浪费了。两阶段考试，即学生首先单独参加考试，然后在小组中重复考试，有望解决这个问题。在这里，我们在一门高级本科生物医学科学课程中试点和评估了两阶段考试。我们通过问卷调查、半结构化学生访谈以及比较高分组和低分组学生考试阶段的成绩，对这一创新进行了三角分析。来自结构化问卷的定量数据表明，大多数学生认为两阶段考试的协作阶段成功地促进了同伴合作和交流。此外，还加深了概念理解并提供了即时反馈。然而，两阶段考试并没有减轻学生的考试焦虑。半结构化学生访谈的定性数据与定量数据一致，表明两阶段考试对即时反馈、同伴合作和交流有积极影响，但由于小组互动过程中的负面经历，可能导致持续的考试焦虑。与两阶段考试的单独阶段相比，无论是低分组还是高分组的学生，在协作阶段都有所提高。这表明两阶段考试可能对所有学生能力的学习都有好处。本研究讨论了两阶段考试在生物医学科学中的优势和缺陷，并为今后在其他地方的实施提供了明智的建议。
