Friday, 20 April 2018: 3:05 PM
Introduction: There are a variety of assessment methods available to nurse educators. The decision to use a particular strategy depends on the objective being assessed, the setting in which learning occurs, the level and number of students, and time constraints. This mixed methods study focused on the use of collaborative testing in a nursing Pharmacotherapeutics course at a Midwestern university. Collaborative testing is defined as an assessment method in which pairs or small groups of students work together to develop answers on course examinations (Oermann & Gaberson, 2017). This presentation will describe the use of double testing in which students take each examination twice, first alone and again following a 15-20 minute discussion with an assigned group. In this classroom group consensus was not required. When used in this manner collaborative testing becomes a type of posttest review (Parsons and Teel, 2013; Centrella-Nigro, 2012). Collaborative testing functions to teach students the importance of collaboration, which was identified as one of the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project competencies. QSEN defines teamwork and collaboration as the skills required for a nurse to “function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care” (QSEN, 2014). Collaborative testing is a learning strategy that encourages students to participate, negotiate, and work together as a team during testing. Social interdependent theory (Johnson & Johnson, 2005) identifies the positive effect of the use of effective communication in order to reach a common goal. The use of collaborative testing can help students develop skills that are important for competent nursing practice. Three research questions were used to guide this study: (1) Is there a difference between the class average individual test score and the average class double-testing test score on unit examinations over eight semesters? (2) How much difference occurs between the class average individual test score and the average class double-testing score on unit examinations over eight semesters? (3) Are students satisfied with the double-testing method? Literature Review: Collaborative testing methods have been used successfully in a variety of settings within nursing education. Research indicates that students have reported high satisfaction with the use of collaborative testing (Gallagher, 2009; Hanna, Roberts, & Hurley, 2016; Sandahl, 2010; Wiggs, 2011). Research also indicates that examination scores are higher with the use of collaborative testing (Eastridge, 2014; Martin, Frieson, & Pau, 2014; Molsbee, 2013; Sandahl, 2010) causing some concern related to grade inflation (Duane & Satre, 2014). Heglund and Wink (2011) studied the effect of collaborative testing on the examination scores of 166 nursing students and reported a 3% grade increase that did not meet the criteria for statistical significance. Data Collection: There were two aims of this study. The first aim was to determine the percentage of grade increase that students received over the course of eight semesters with the use of double-testing (n=403). A second part of the study focused on student perceptions of the use of collaborative testing. This study utilized a convenience sample of traditional nursing students in the first semester of a baccalaureate nursing program. Following IRB approval, average examination scores were obtained from the Black Board grade book using the course statistics feature in order to determine the amount of grade increase realized from the use of collaborative testing. Each semester six unit examinations are administered using double-testing. Three average scores were obtained for each examination; an independent score for the solo examination (Test A), the score received following the group discussion (Test B), and the final examination score which is usually the average of Test A and Test B. Collaborative testing is not used for the comprehensive course final examination. In order to determine student satisfaction, the course evaluation for the Fall 2016 semester included three questions concerning student satisfaction with collaborative testing (n=38). Findings: The average grade increase over eight semesters was 3.3%, which is consistent with the findings of Heglund and Wink (2011). As for student satisfaction, consistent with past research, most students (90%) strongly agreed that they enjoyed the use of collaborative testing. Recommendations: To decrease concerns related to grade inflation an educator may consider awarding collaborative testing points only to those students who independently pass the examination. A 3% grade increase may or may not be sufficient to increase a student to a higher letter grade, but students do appreciate the opportunity for further learning that may add a few points to their grade. Educators may feel that the time spent in test review is worth the rewarding of a few extra points. Students do express high satisfaction with collaborative testing and feel that it is a worth-while addition to learning.