Learning from Team Quizzes in CS2

ABSTRACTCollaborative assessments, in which students take an individual assessment and then retake it with peers, are valued by students and contribute to learning. We studied a collaborative assessment technique as part of an instructional strategy called Team-Based Learning (TBL). This environment differs from those of prior studies on collaborative assessments in computing. Specifically, TBL uses teams over informal groups and 'medium-stakes' formative assessment that provides accountability for learning. We asked whether collaborative quizzes contribute to immediate conceptual understanding in CS2 and whether students improve the use of and attitudes toward peer learning over time. In our within-subjects study, we found learning gains on average and with three of five quizzes. We used a self-reported measure of team learning to model improvements in score, but it was not predictive. Looking across quizzes, we found modest evidence of improved learning over time, and by using pre/post semester surveys, we found an improvement in two of three measures of attitude towards peer learning.