Teaching of Psychology, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundThe benefit of collaborative testing to learning has been examined via two-stage exams (individual then group) for high-stakes tests. However, group testing might be particularly beneficial to students when implemented during the earlier stages of learning (i.e., collaborative practice testing).ObjectiveIn a large Introductory Psychology course, we investigated whether low-stakes collaborative practice testing enhanced learning compared to individual practice testing.MethodsStudents completed collaborative and individual practice tests followed by two delayed retention tests. Across sections of the course, some students also engaged in group-building exercises prior to practice testing.ResultsCollaborative practice testing improved performance on surprise individual retention tests administered approximately one and two weeks later (n = 569). The addition of group-building exercises did not affect the benefits of collaborative testing.ConclusionThe present research suggests that collaborative practice testing can enhance long-term retention of course material.Teaching ImplicationsThis work provides a potential model for implementing collaborative practice testing in large undergraduate psychology classes and suggests that group-building exercises may not be necessary to produce durable learning from collaborative practice testing.