Activity aim: Group quizzes enhance students’ understanding of the material by having them discuss a set of questions to determine the correct answers. By working cooperatively, students can learn from each other and improve their grasp of the material. The “quiz” in this activity is meant as a low stakes, formative assessment focused mainly on facilitating peer instruction and promoting discussion and engagement with course concepts.
Materials: Paper, pencil, notecards (optional), quiz questions, and a method for students to respond (paper/pencil, printed worksheet, clickers).
Time estimated: 20+ minutes (depending on the approach used)
Large / jumbo extension: For a large class (50-100 students) or a jumbo class (100+ students) description of this activity, click here.
Activity description: Group quizzes can be conducted in various ways. All methods require that students are divided into groups.
In the first approach, the teacher creates the questions before class. During class, once students are divided into their groups, the teacher poses the questions and gives students time to discuss and record their group’s answers. If using clickers, the teacher may want to present questions one-by-one, giving students time in between questions to discuss (or solve a problem) and submit their answer using the clicker.
A more lively approach involves breaking students into teams of 4-5 students. To prepare for this activity, the teacher may want to create a comprehensive outline of material covered in class to be used on the quiz (students could assist in this effort in a previous class). At the beginning of the class, each student would be given a copy of the outline, several notecards, and assigned to a team.
Using the outline for guidance, each team creates questions for the quiz. Teams write their questions on the notecard and also include their team letter in the upper corner of the notecard (to ensure that they do not answer this question). While creating questions teams should also be given time to study for the quiz. After the teams have created a specified number of questions, they turn in their questions and outlines to the teacher.
With the class clearly and physically divided into their teams, the teacher presents Team A with a question. If Team A misses the question, Team B gets a chance to answer the question, the question circulates between teams until the right answer is given. The next question goes first to Team B and missed questions circulates to Team C and so on.
At the end of the quiz, each team tallies the number of questions they answered correctly.
Optional: The teacher could decide to select student-created questions to include in the actual test. This would reward students’ attendance, class participation, and attentiveness.
Large / Jumbo Class Version:
In this approach, the instructor creates quiz questions before class.
During class, once students are divided into pairs of two, the instructor poses the questions and gives students time to discuss and record their group’s answers. If there is time, the group of two might check their answers with the two people sitting in front of them.
If using clickers, the instructor may want to present questions one-by-one, giving students time in between questions to discuss (or solve a problem) and submit their answer using the clicker.
Activity Adapted from: Active Learning Techniques, “Team Quizzes” created by Brigham Young University’s Center for Teaching and Learning
Image: LEGO Marvel Superheroes Chess by Ryan Rydalch