Increasing Active Learning in the Biochemistry Classroom: Using Group Quizzes to Stimulate Discussion

A variety of pedagogical methods (such as POGIL and teaching through case studies) that encourage discussion are particularly adaptable for biochemistry courses. However, these methods often fall short when students in the classroom are not motivated to engage in discussion of the material. In the Monmouth College Biochemistry classroom, group multiple‐choice quizzes have been used to stimulate discussion and collaborative work. Students are assigned to a group of 3 or 4 students; each student takes an individual multiple‐choice quiz prior to working on the group quiz. The individual quiz allows each student to organize their thoughts before taking the quiz as a group thereby avoiding the issue of group dynamics and students who move through the quiz at different rates. The group quiz is self‐scored using an IF‐AT scorecard. With these low stakes quizzes, almost all students actively engage in the discussion of the material and take an interest in what is being discussed. Student feedback suggests that this process enhances their ability to work collaboratively and increases their comprehension of the material. Finally, due to the multiple‐choice format of these quizzes and the increased comprehension of the material, students have shown an improvement on the ACS standardized biochemistry exam since this method has been implemented. This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .