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SITA - Student Instructional Technology Assistants
Student Instructional Technology Assistants (SITAs) work one-on-one with instructors on projects that enhance instruction with technology.
Tania Leal, Ph.D., University of Iowa alumna
Cooperative quizzes allow students to use assessment as a learning tool.
Tania Leal uses cooperative quizzes to turn assessment into a learning tool that improves understanding, retention, and motivation. Cooperative Quizzes (also called group quizzes, collaborative quizzes, pyramid exams, or two-stage exams) are assigned to groups after students have completed an individual quiz. Groups are responsible for coming to consensus on each answer, which will require them to discuss and debate course material. Students’ grades are calculated by weighting both the individual and the group assessment. Leal has found that this strategy encourages thoughtful discussion and more sophisticated understanding of major course themes by engaging students at that key moment when student receptiveness for understanding is at its peak.
Studies have shown that collaborative quizzes can:
Experts recommend collaborative quizzes for courses that already include some level of group work.
Practitioners have successfully used collaborative quizzes in both small classes and large lectures classes.
Groups of 3-4 generally work best because small groups help to ensure that every student’s voice is heard.
Students grouped to encourage diversity tend to yield the best results, which may require instructors to assign groups.
Students may benefit from staying in the same groups for several quizzes so they can observe group as well as individual improvement.
Questions may be multiple choice or short answer, but essays are not recommended.
Students may need guidance about how to use thoughtful discussion to come to a unanimous decision so they will not resort to coin flipping or majority-rules voting. The emphasis is on consensus because one of the goals of the group quiz is to cultivate the ability to make convincing arguments for an answer. A student with the correct answer must also be able to explain effectively why they came to that conclusion.
Providing only one answer sheet per group can help ensure that groups come to a consensus.
Student learning will be maximized if correct answers are discussed after completion of the cooperative quizzes.
In addition to providing students with an explanation of the process and benefits of group quizzes, consider explaining in your syllabus how cooperative quizzes will work. See instructions for writing about cooperative quizzes in your syllabus here.
Consider asking students for feedback. See an example of a feedback questionnaire.
Cooperative Quizzes require nothing more than pencil and paper, but some instructors have found that using the following tools can enhance the process:
Ives, J. (2011) Two-Stage Group Quizzes Part 0: Poster Presentation from FFPERPS 2011. Science Learnification Blog. Retrieved from https://learnification.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/two-stage-group-quizzes-part-0-poster-presentation-from-ffperps-2011/
The University of British Columbia Department of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences. (2016) Two-Stage Exams. The University of British Columbia. Retrieved from http://blogs.ubc.ca/eoassei/two-stage-exams/
Assessment -- Get advice on designing assessments to maximize learning value and fairness and additional information on collaborative quizzes.
Designing and Facilitating Group Work -- Explore the pedagogical benefits of collaborative learning and get advice on setting up groups, designing effective assignments, grading, promoting student buy-in for group work, and more.
Technology Integration in the Classroom -- Explore how to use clickers (student response systems) for quizzes, attendance, checks of understanding, and more.
Cooperative Quizzes in the Literature -- A bibliography of articles on group quizzes from the UI Center for Teaching.