Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Physics and Astronomy

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Over three decades of research have shown that students taught using active learning strategies achieve better learning outcomes compared to those taught using traditional methods. Two-stage exams, which pair a traditional exam with a group component, are an increasingly popular method for incorporating active learning within the assessment component of a course. Previous studies have shown this assessment strategy provides a variety of benefits for students, including increased engagement and collaboration, immediate feedback, and potentially increased content retention. However, the unique circumstances of each instructor can pose a non-trivial barrier to the implementation of two-stage exams. In this thesis, we explore multiple strategies for incorporating two-stage exams into a course. We first introduce the asynchronous two-stage exam strategy, which retains the individual, traditional exam in a supervised testing session and moves the group, collaborative exam out of class to an unsupervised setting. This format allows instructors to maintain the usual amount of time allocated to a traditional assessment while also enjoying the benefits two-stage exams offer. We find no difference in student experience across formats when comparing the asynchronous two-stage exam with a standard two-stage exam that holds both stages synchronously in a classroom environment.

Despite our results, some instructors may still hesitate to hold the collaborative group stage in an unsupervised setting. We therefore broaden our study across five different physics courses that incorporated in-person, supervised two-stage exams and vary in the group stage implementation. Variations include the amount of time dedicated to the group stage, whether the group stage occurs directly after the individual stage, and the course in which two-stage exams are implemented. We find reduced D’s, F’s, and withdrawal (DFW) rates in the courses that implemented two-stage exams and had a historical DFW greater than 20%. We also show that the affective benefits of two-stage exams are retained across formats.

Date

1-15-2026

Committee Chair

Browne, Dana

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