Promoting Teamwork Through Collaborative Learning in Exams
Overview
This resource provides faculty with an assessment strategy to build teamwork among students, discuss and analyze exam questions, and promote peer learning. This activity encourages problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication through collaboration on course exams.
How to Use
- On exam day, faculty should start by having students take their exams individually while they adhere to the faculty’s course policies.
- Faculty should have students who have extended time accommodations start their exam first so that all students finish simultaneously. Plan for those requiring a distraction-reduced testing room to test near the main classroom. Have students stay in their seats quietly when they finish their exam. This will ensure no access to resources between the individual student and group exam retake.
- Faculty should wait until all students have finished their individual exams, then instruct students to get into their groups (including students with accommodations). Each group will submit one copy of the exam.
- The retake of the exam should be the same exam that was just completed by individual students.
- Faculty may consider a paper copy of the exam for the group retake to help facilitate the group work (instead of online).
- The retake exam should remain assistance-free, with no phones, computers, notes, or textbook.
- After completion of the group exam, encourage the students to reflect on their collaborative efforts. This will help them learn from their experiences within their teams.
Integrative Learning Strategies
- This activity is intended to be used in courses with exams.
- The activity works well in-person but can also be facilitated online if the meetings are synchronous and break-out rooms are available.
- For NCLEX style exams, consider the following timing examples:
- For an hour-long exam period, faculty can give a 25-question exam for 30 minutes, then have students complete the same exam in their group for 30 minutes.
- For a two-hour-long exam slot, faculty can give a 50-question exam and 60 minutes to complete, with 60 minutes for the group retake.
Assessment Strategies
- Points should be given for completion of this activity. Faculty should consider including this activity as part of the exam grade. For example, the exam is worth 100 points:
- The individual take is worth 98 of the total 100 points.
- The group retake is worth 2 points of the total 100 points.
- If the group achieves 95% on the group exam, they get the full 2 points.
- If the group achieves 90%-94.5% on the group exam, they get 1 point.
- If the group achieves less than 90%, they get 0 points.
Possible Courses
This can be used in any course with written examinations.
Additional Resources/Publications
Caboral-Stevens, Meriam and Diane Porretta Fox. "The use of Collaborative Testing with Baccalaureate Nursing Students." Teaching and Learning in Nursing 15, no. 1 (2020): 37-41. doi: 10.1016/j.teln.2019.09.007.
NCSBN. "2023 Nclex Candidate Bulletin.”. Accessed Mar 1, 2024. https://www.nclex.com/files/2023_NCLEX_Candidate_Bulletin.pdf.
Phillips, Tiffany A., Allison C. Munn, and Tracy P. George. "The Impact of Collaborative Testing in Graduate Nursing Education." The Journal of Nursing Education 58, no. 6 (2019): 357-359. doi:10.3928/01484834-20190521-07.
Reid, David, and Aleccia Hofstetter. "Collaborative 2-Stage Testing in Nursing Education." Nurse Educator 45, no. 3 (2020): 159. doi:10.1097/NNE.0000000000000788.
Sub-competencies for entry-level professional nursing education:
1.2b Demonstrate intellectual curiosity.
6.1c Elicit the perspectives of team members to inform person-centered care decision-making.
6.2a Apply principles of team dynamics, including team roles, to facilitate effective team functioning.
6.2c Engage in the team's work as appropriate to one’s scope of practice and competency.
6.4c Engage in constructive communication to facilitate conflict management.
10.2b Integrate comprehensive feedback to improve performance.
10.2d Expand personal knowledge to inform clinical judgment.
Sub-competencies for advanced-level professional nursing education:
6.1g Evaluate effectiveness of interprofessional communication tools and techniques to support and improve the efficacy of team-based interactions.
6.1l Demonstrate capacity to resolve interprofessional conflict.
6.2j Foster positive team dynamics to strengthen desired outcomes.
6.4f Foster an environment that supports the constructive sharing of multiple perspectives and enhances interprofessional learning.
6.4g Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into team practices.
6.4h Manage disagreements, conflicts, and challenging conversations among team members.
6.4i Promote an environment that advances interprofessional learning.
10.2i Foster activities that support a culture of lifelong learning.
Posted: August 27, 2024
Submitted by:
Jennifer Maffucci, Clinical Instructor, University of Illinois at Chicago
Afrodita Salievska, Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago