SUCCESSES WITH TWO-STAGE EXAMS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Abstract

Two-stage exams consist of a traditionalpencil-and-paper examination written in class byindividual students, followed immediately by a secondsitting in which the students retake the same exam inteams (i.e. a collaborative test). The team test providesan immediate opportunity for students to discuss, debate,teach, and receive feedback on the subject matter. Itdraws on principles of goal-directed practice, timelytargeted feedback, and collaborative learning.The practice of two-stage testing is a defining featureof the Team-Based Learning approach, and is used forintroductory reading quizzes that begin each coursemodule. These have been part of the instructionalapproach in Mechanical Engineering at the University ofBritish Columbia for over a decade. In 2014, we haveextended two-stage testing to include midterm and finalexaminations. To accommodate the team portion, examswere shortened by approximately one third and questionswere reformatted to be easier to complete in teams.Students report a strong preference this approach(72% in favour) and report a resulting improvement intheir understanding of the course material (75%). Examperformance gains have also been observed. In almost allcases, teams outperform their strongest member, and it isnot uncommon that the weakest team outperforms thestrongest individual in the class. As an added benefit, therevised question structure that makes it easier for studentsto collaborate on exam writing has also simplified andexpedited the marking process.