Does the development of new curriculum – where skills like analysis, critical thinking and collaboration are valued – mean that unit or chapter tests are obsolete? Absolutely not. However, teachers do need to make improvements to their tests. Especially if tests are important to both students and teachers.  For teachers, chapter or unit tests help to inform our own teaching practice. They also help us find out which students are struggling with the material being tested. For the former, tests provide a way to demonstrate and apply their knowledge – and, at times, also to draw connections between concepts. In other words, testing helps support learning for both teachers and students. So, how can we make them more effective? How can we make tests that require more critical thinking and analysis? One solution is two stage testing

This past year, I tried two stage testing in my Physics 11 and Junior science classes (gr 8s and 9s). And, the two stage test format was an awesome success. It was collaborative. It made students analyze how they were approaching difficult questions. And, it helped strengthen the concepts being tested even after the writing of the test itself. Below, I go over what two stage testing is and some tips on how to run your own. A tip sheet is available for download at the end of this post.

What is two stage testing?

Two tier testing can be seen as a test with two components. First, there’s the individual component, where students perform a test by themselves. Then, there’s a group component, where students perform an identical or similar test in small groups. The purpose of this test format is to have students support each other’s learning. The format is similar to students doing an assignment by themselves and then checking their results with a classmate. The individual component will have students develop their own answers and responses while the group component will have students discuss and debate their answers. Thus, there are two ways in which the test format supports student learning. First, by having students develop their own responses by accessing their own knowledge on the subject. Then, by reflecting on the validity their responses by comparing those responses with those of other students.

According to a paper published by the University of British Columbia (UBC), which uses two-stage testing in their Earth and Ocean Science course, “when students were tested in groups, they showed significantly greater improvement on subsequent individual testing than when tested only as individuals.” In other words, group testing helps students retain more of what was taught in class. I observed a similar trend in my own classes too. If you want to see how two stage testing is done, check out the video below of how two-stage testing is done in a Earth and Ocean Science course at UBC.

Some Tips

The biggest concern regarding two stage testing is: if students work on a test in groups, won’t weaker students just sit back while stronger students do all the work? The short answer is, yes, this is certainly a possibility. Some students will just sit back while stronger students take the helm and do a lot of the work. However, if group work is part of the norm for a science test, then there will be fewer students who take advantage of the situation and do nothing. All students will learn how to contribute in a group testing environment. And, there are some things that teachers can do to ensure students – weak or strong – get the most out of two stage testing too.

1. Stress that it’s about learning

I tell my students that the purpose of two stage testing is to support student learning. More specifically, it’s meant to help students reinforce what they’ve learned through small group discussion and reflection. Therefore, students need to be an active participant during the group test. This can be as simple as filling in the answers to some of the easier questions to figuring out the answer to a complicated one. The point is, students need to talk and bounce ideas off each other so that they get a stronger understanding of the current concepts before moving on. And, this is done through group discussions while writing a group quiz/test.

2. Use for smaller quizzes

I use two stage testing for my smaller quizzes as opposed to larger tests. For a science period that is 60 minutes, students write the individual quiz for 35 minutes and then the group quiz for the remaining 25. Giving students ample time to complete the group quiz allows for greater time for discussion. If not enough time is given for the group component, students will feel rushed and groups will just end up having their smartest student do the questions without discussion.

3. Use a weighted average when calculating the overall test mark

For any two tier test, I tell my students that roughly 75-80% of their mark is based on the individual component while 20-25% is based on the group component. Because most of their mark is based on the individual component, students are ultimately still responsible for the bulk of their overall test mark.

4. Add a few more challenging questions to the group test

Providing students with the same test to write for both individual and group tests will lead to students asking, “what did you get for this (question)?”. However, provide some extra challenging questions to the group test, and students are more likely to ask “how do we do this (question)?”

In other words, new questions not only give students more to discuss but also leads to a deeper discussion. More specifically, a “what” question probes for the result, while a “how” question asks for the process. By providing challenging extension questions to a group test, students will also be forced to participate with group members to answer the new questions (or else, they may not finish the longer group test).

5. Limit group sizes to no more than 3 students.

Smaller groups tend to have more discussion while larger ones tend to have one or two members not participate. With larger groups, it’s easier for students to sit back and let other students to do the work.

Wrap Up

If science curriculum is regularly evolving, then how we test students needs to evolve regularly as well. Group testing isn’t a new concept. However, employing group testing in the two stage testing format does help students practice all those science skills we want them to practice. And, students tend to retain more information too. Sounds like a win-win to me. Click the link below to receive a copy of our tip sheet. Also, please share our resources with your colleagues and/or leave a comment. Thanks!

Until next time, keep it REAL.

Resources

Handout(s): 41 – Two Stage Testing Tip Sheet

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