ORAL GROUP EXAMINATION METHOD TO EVALUATE COLLABORATIVE AND INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

The engineering education at Aarhus University, Denmark, includes the course Statistics and Design of Experiments (DoE) that encompasses both collaborative and individual learning activities. The choice of examination method is important, as students adapt their learning behavior accordingly. Group examinations align well with collaborative learning and individual examinations are successful in assessing individual learning and detecting free riders. To avoid organizing and exposing the students to two examinations and thus imposing additional undesirable costs, we aimed to develop a single highly structured oral group examination method that addresses both collaborative and individual learning in an organized fashion without increasing demands on academic staff. The oral group examination method described in this study is a three-in-one exam where all group members in a project group are present at all times. First, the students’ collaborative skills were addressed with focus on knowledge application and analysis. Then their individual skills were addressed with focus on basic knowledge understanding. Finally, students were given the opportunity to evaluate their own knowledge and create new knowledge, which includes the pinnacle of Bloom’s taxonomy pyramid. The examination method was tried out with four classes of engineering students (142 in total): two Chemical engineering and two Biotechnological engineering classes in their second and third year. Afterwards, students reflected on their perception of the exam in a survey. In summary, the examination method embraced assessment of both collaborative and individual learning and provided time for in-depth discussions with all group members, in the project group, on a high taxonomic level. We encourage other educators to explore this examination method. The present study includes a “ready-to-implement” protocol and a “ready-to-use" Student Scoring Sheet to keep track of the contribution of each student.