Learn More, Stress Less: Exploring the Benefits of Collaborative Assessment

Summary

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Many classroom instructors use collaborative learning activities to promote student learning, raise academic achievement, and support cognitive engagement. We conducted a collaborative assessment in a small undergraduate educational psychology course (N = 31) and used survey methodology to explore student perceptions. Taken together, our quantitative and qualitative results support the notion that collaborative assessment can promote collaborative learning, mitigate test anxiety, and make in-class testing a more positive educational experience. We discuss these findings in relation to our observations as the course instructors, and we provide several practical recommendations, as well as study limitations and future directions.

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Learn More, Stress Less: Exploring the Benefits of Collaborative Assessment

Social constructivism emphasizes the belief that knowledge is most effectively constructed through social interaction within a socio-cultural context (Cobb, 1994; Vygotsky, 1978; Wertsch, 1991). In collaborative learning, teammates complement and build on each others' views in an attempt to construct shared knowledge and understandings. According to Driscoll (2005), effective collaboration enables insights and solutions to arise synergistically in a rigorous process that involves the development and evaluation of diverse arguments.

Compared to solitary student activities, collaborative (or cooperative) learning methods- such as collaborative assessment (CA), group projects, role-playing activities, and small-group discussions, among others- have been shown to be more effective in promoting critical thinking and understanding, raising academic achievement, supporting transfer and long-term retention of the learned material, and promoting psychological health, social competence, self-esteem, and positive attitudes toward the learning task (Johnson & Johnson, 1989, 1999; Slavin, 1989). More specifically, CA has been found to promote learning, critical thinking, and rete...

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