Exam Preview Methods Are Associated With Improvements for the Experiences and Learning of College Science Students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21392932 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Benjamin Wiggins (0000-0002-2100-4815, Shoreline Community College, corresponding author), Benjamin L Wiggins (0000-0001-5343-3174, Shoreline Community College Shoreline Washington USA), Kerri Wingert (0000-0002-2166-379X, Good Question Research Boulder Colorado USA), Gregory J Crowther (0000-0003-0530-9130, Everett Community College Everett Washington USA) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sce.70082 |
| OpenAlex | W7163079460 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 47 |
College science exams are an important and widespread marker for student progress toward technical careers. Predominantly enacted using traditional teaching practices, exams also represent an opportunity for significant improvement in higher education. To explore the potential benefits of a particular style of exam assessment known as exam preview methods, a mixed‐methods experimental design was enacted in science classrooms across fields and with five faculty instructors at community colleges in the United States. Parallel sections were randomly assigned to be assessed with exams either in the faculty's traditional method or with exam preview methods, and data (primarily coded interviews and learning gains) were analyzed for the impacts of implementation. Students in sections using exam preview methods were observed to have better student experiences, more demonstrated learning, and better conditions for effective learning in the class as a whole. The results together suggest important benefits for students in exam preview sections when triangulated between different types of data. When weighed against a modest observed time cost for implementation of the new method, these data suggest that exam preview methods may be a straightforward and useful innovation for a range of science classrooms
Class (philosophy) · Higher education · Science class · Science education · Science learning · Style (visual arts) · Teaching method · Academic integrity and plagiarism · Innovative Teaching Methods · Student Assessment and Feedback
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |