Abstract Background and Motivation In a broad literature review, Geisinger Lewis, 2022; Nilson, 2014) have begun to be more widely adopted in STEM courses. However, there is a need to measure the efficacy of these interventions (Hackerson et al. , 2024). Collaborative learning environments represent an academic approach where students work together to achieve specific learning goals, emphasizing active participation and social interaction (Dillenbourg, 1999). The benefits of collaborative learning environments on student success in engineering have been well documented for decades (Menekse Ralston et al. , 2017). Research demonstrates that collaborative learning is linked with enhanced motivation, improved communication and social skills, and improved self-esteem (Micari 1st ed. ). WVU Press. Clark, D. , & Talbert, R. (2023). Grading for Growth (1st ed. ). Taylor & Francis Group. Dillenbourg, P. (1999). Collaborative learning: Cognitive and computational approaches. . Elsevier Science. Geisinger, B. N. , & Raman, D. R. (2013). Why They Leave: Understanding Student Attrition from Engineering Majors. Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, 29 (4), 914–925. http: //lib. dr. iastate. edu/abeₑngₚubs Hackerson, E. L. , Slominski, T. , Johnson, N. , Buncher, J. B. , Ismael, S. , Singelmann, L. , Leontyev, A. , Knopps, A. G. , McDarby, A. , Nguyen, J. J. , Condry, D. L. J. , Nyachwaya, J. M. , Wissman, K. T. , Falkner, W. , Grieger, K. , Montplaisir, L. , Hodgson, A. , & Momsen, J. L. (2024). Alternative grading practices in undergraduate STEM education: a scoping review. In Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research (Vol. 6, Issue 1). Springer. https: //doi. org/10. 1186/s43031-024-00106-8 Lewis, D. (2022). Impacts of Standards-Based Grading on Students' Mindset and Test Anxiety. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 22 (2). https: //doi. org/10. 14434/josotl. v22i2. 31308 Lipnevich, A. A. , Guskey, T. R. , Murano, D. M. , & Smith, J. K. (2020). What do grades mean? Variation in grading criteria in American college and university courses. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 27 (5), 480–500. https: //doi. org/10. 1080/0969594X. 2020. 1799190 Menekse, M. , & Chi, M. T. H. (2019). The role of collaborative interactions versus individual construction on students' learning of engineering concepts. European Journal of Engineering Education, 44 (5), 702–725. https: //doi. org/10. 1080/03043797. 2018. 1538324 Micari, M. , & Pazos, P. (2021). Beyond grades: improving college students' social-cognitive outcomes in STEM through a collaborative learning environment. Learning Environments Research, 24 (1), 123–136. https: //doi. org/10. 1007/s10984-020-09325-y Nilson, L. B. (2014). Specifications Grading: Restoring Rigor, Motivating Students, and Saving Faculty Time (1st ed. ). Stylus Publishing, LLC. Ralston, P. A. S. , Tretter, T. R. , & Kendall-Brown, M. (2017). Implementing Collaborative Learning across the Engineering Curriculum. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17 (3), 89–108. https: //doi. org/10. 14434/josotl. v17i3. 21323
Walters et al. (Thu,) studied this question.