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- Title
QUALITATIVE ASPECTS OF GROUP-ONLY TESTING.
- Authors
HANSHAW, LARRY G.
- Abstract
This study sought to determine how students would describe their group-only cooperative testing experiences in terms of key elements of cooperative learning often cited in the literature. Written comments of 159 graduate students were analyzed and 26 related categories of comments were derived from 495 statements of students enrolled in two graduate classes offered during nine months of a regular school year and two five-week summer terms. Students mentioned all five of the selected elements of cooperative learning within various contextual statements they wrote to describe their cooperative testing experiences. The results of this study indicated that positive experiences occurred more often than negative experiences across categories defined as (1) Positive Interdependence, (2) Face-to-Face Interaction, (3) Individual and Group Accountability, (4) Appropriate Use of Social Skills, and (5) Group Processing in this study. Students also reported predominantly positive psycho-social benefits such as lowered stress and test anxiety levels, friendships made, increased learning, and a strong preference for the group-only testing format. Teachers in the class also indicated a willingness to use this testing format in their own classrooms following their group testing experiences. Moreover, higher achievement gains were reported as part of students' experiences during the cooperative group-testing arrangement featured in this study.
- Subjects
GROUP work in education; GROUP testing; FACE-to-face communication; SOCIAL skills; GROUP process; PREVENTION of psychological stress; TEST anxiety; EDUCATION &; society; ACADEMIC achievement; PREVENTION
- Publication
College Student Journal, 2012, Vol 46, Issue 2, p419
- ISSN
0146-3934
- Publication type
Article