Abstract This study contributes to the literature on cooperative learning by demonstrating the effectiveness of group exams on knowledge retention and attitudes toward the instructor and class. Over 250 junior-level students in a large midwestern business school, who were enrolled in an individual income tax class, participated in this study. The control group took three traditional mid-term exams and then a comprehensive final. The experimental group took the same three traditional midterms and comprehensive final, but each of the mid-term exams included a second part which was a group retake of the midterm exams. Small groups of three people took the subsequent group exams together to arrive at a group consensus for the answers. The results show that the final exam scores for those who participated in the group exams were significantly higher than the scores for those who only took individual exams over the same material, in addition, skeptics who fear that the temptation to hitchhike is too great will be encouraged to know that the results are statistically significant for low, average and high GPA students. Moreover, responses on student evaluations indicate that the group exam students were significantly more likely to believe the course was mentally challenging, the teacher was fair and impartial, and the teacher was an outstanding instructor.
Peggy A. Hite (Fri,) studied this question.