USING SINGLE-GENDER GROUP TESTS IN A LARGE, INTRODUCTORY GEOSCIENCE CLASS

To make examinations a more positive learning experience for students in a 130-person, introductory physical geology course at a regional university, the testing format was modified to include group tests in single-gender groups. Twenty-five question, multiple-choice tests were first administered to individuals and answer sheets were collected. Students then assembled in pre-assigned groups of three to six females or males and took the same test again. Only one answer sheet was collected per group, so consensus on each response was required. The individual portion of the exam was weighted 75% and the group portion 25% of the final score. After the exams were graded, groups were allowed to petition for credit on any question with whose answer they disagreed. At the end of the semester, a survey about the single-gender group exams revealed that over 85% of students liked this testing format and felt it provided a positive learning experience. Almost all students felt that they studied as hard or harder for these exams than they would have for solely individual tests. Although most students agreed that everyone in their groups participated at some point, more than a third did feel that one or two individuals tended to dominate the discussion. A higher percentage of male students than female reported that they disliked the format and that a few individuals dominated their group's interactions. While most people said that they would have felt equally comfortable taking the exam in mixed-gender groups, 34% of women and 20% of men actually preferred being in single-gender groups. In terms of exam performance, most groups earned as good or better scores than individual group members did, but 19% of students did slightly worse on their group score on one or two of the five exams. Because of the cushion provided by the normally higher group score, exam questions were made more challenging and thought-provoking than had been the case in previous classes. Overall, this testing format was a success. Women students particularly seemed to benefit from working in single-gender groups.