Effects of low-stakes quizzing on student learning in two plant identification courses
Date
2023-08
Authors
Lyle, Samantha Ann
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Haynes, Cynthia L
Iles, Jeff
Carpenter, Shana
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Abstract
Plant identification courses are often considered difficult because they rely heavily on memorization of new vocabulary and scientific names. As most students are new to binomial nomenclature, good study habits and reliable study resources are particularly important for best performance. Recognizing the benefits of improved student performance and memory retention found in educational psychology research surrounding a form of retrieval practice, low-stakes quizzing, we sought to investigate the impacts of low-stakes quizzing in an agricultural discipline.
This study investigated the effects of low-stakes quizzing on student performance on high-stakes quizzes in two collegiate plant identification courses. Students from Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping (HORT 240) and Herbaceous Ornamentals (HORT 330) in 2020, 2021, and 2022 completed a brief, low-stakes quiz almost every week as a way to review content presented in recent lectures. These online low-stakes quizzes were followed up with traditional higher-stakes quizzes conducted in lab the following week. Scores from both sets of low-stakes quizzes and high-stakes quizzes were compared to assess student performance. Student grade point average (GPA) was also evaluated to examine the effectiveness of the quizzes at different grade levels. The data suggests that low-stakes quizzing could be less effective for traditionally high-performing students, as those in the A grade level saw marginal benefit from low-stakes quizzing. The largest gains of low-stakes quizzing were measured in students with average grades, suggesting it’s beneficial to a wide range of students. Effects of repetition of specific plants on identification quizzes were also measured; typically, slight improvements in student performance were found from plants that were quizzed several times. The potential success of implementing low-stakes quizzing into more educators’ curricula could prove to be a key factor in their students’ academic performance and retention of material after leaving their courses.
In addition to good study habits, dependable resources may also be beneficial to students in plant identification courses. The third chapter outlines the process and benefits of creating high resolution botanical scans with a flatbed scanner, framework, and backdrop cloth as a visual study aid for students. Plant identification courses typically rely on visual resources as students learn to pay close attention to morphological features of plants, commonly employing the use of live samples, photographs, and herbarium vouchers. The methods of creating botanical scans described in this published paper may have great potential as a supplemental learning aid with unique complementary benefits to existing visual resources.
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