New assessment process in an introductory undergraduate physics laboratory: an exploration on collaborative learning. Issue 2 (17th February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Leung, Anthony C.K.; Hashemi Pour, Banafsheh; Reynolds, Dan; Jerzak, Stanislaw
• Is Part Of: Assessment & evaluation in higher education. Volume 42:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 169
• Page End: 181
• Publication Date: 2017-02-17
• Subjects: team work -- team learning -- laboratory learning -- science education -- physics education; Education, Higher -- Evaluation -- Periodicals; 378
• DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2015.1089977
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0260-2938

Abstract

Abstract : A new team learning assessment process was designed and tested in a first-year university physics laboratory class. The assessment process was designed to provide a strong incentive for students to cooperate and feel responsible for each other's learning and fostering a sense of collaboration rather than competition. Specifically, the new assessment process involves randomly dividing students into teams of four to work on a physics experiment and, at the end of the laboratory session, randomly selecting only one team member to carry out a post-laboratory session performance task. The results indicate that learning outcomes were not compromised in the new assessment process and that peer instruction was employed to a greater extent compared to our standard process. Student responses from a post-assessment survey revealed that 76% of students considered our new assessment process to be fair, whereas 57% of students felt our standard process was fair. The new assessment process used in this study led to a 75% reduction in grading duties – an advantage for large class management.