Take-Home Quizzes: Learning to Learn in
Introductory Chemistry - by Holly Walter Kerby and
Karen Anderson
Summary of Student Responses
- When asked in a questionnaire which they would prefer-- short, weekly, in-class quizzes or Take-Home Quizzes (THQs), students almost unanimously chose the latter. Two main reasons were offered for this preference:
- THQs helped them figure out what they didn't know so they could learn it, and
- THQs allowed them to make mistakes and learn from them with only a small loss of points.
- Students reported that they found the THQs very extremely challenging, and yet they continued to do them. Ninety percent of the THQs were turned in on time, every week, completed. Students reported they spend an average of 4 to 8 hours per week working on the THQs. (This is more time than many students in previous classes spent working on chemistry per week total.)
- Approximately 75% of the students reported that they worked in study groups at least 25% of the time. Around 35% of the students worked in study groups more than 80% of the time. A culture and sense of community also developed around the task of doing THQs.
Feedback from Individual Students
- "THQs... are the step between introduction to the material and the closed book/note exams. They really are the 'learning how to do it' part. Being able to do them with reference to notes, books, etc., helped me learn."
- "I'd rather have THQs [than in-class quizzes] because there is a chance to get together and work with other people."
- "I loved/hated the THQs. They reinforced the lecture/lab/reading material very well. I learn best by "practicing" and the THQ met that learning style... I was able to build confidence and the difficulty level forced me to collaborate with others."
- "No matter how hard I thought the quizzes were, the fact that I could find the answers myself and/or with another classmate was exactly what I needed. It prepared me for the exam."
- "Take-home quizzes helped out a lot. I hated doing them every week, but it really got me to read the book. It forced me to pay attention and figure out what was going on. Even though they sucked, I am glad they they were given out."
- "Please keep giving us really long and hard take-home quizzes!"
- "It took me about 4-5 hours doing one THQ. THQs made me apply all the stuff I read. My friends and I try to sit down on Tuesdays and compare and explain each other's answers. That helps a lot!"
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