Cooperative learning exercises were rated highly useful by >94% of students and were associated with roughly doubled class attendance¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · design r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2004 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Over 94% of N100 students (n = 184) reported cooperative learning exercises were highly or very useful for promoting understanding. → Marrs 2004 q2 i? Attendance in Contemporary Biology rose to more than 85% (average 170 students per session), described as an almost doubling of attendance before cooperative learning exercises were implemented. → Marrs 2004 (2)

Evidence¶

Marrs 2004¶

Marrs, K.A., and Novak, G. (2004). Just-in-Time Teaching in Biology: Creating an Active Learner Classroom Using the Internet. Cell Biology Education 3, 49–61. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.03-11-0022

q2 · i? · design · r2

One-semester Lickert-scale student survey in Contemporary Biology N100. The article reports over 94% of students (n = 184) rated the cooperative learning exercises highly or very useful; no inferential statistic is printed.

"Over 94% of students in one semester of N100 (n = 184) reported that the cooperative learning exercises were “highly useful” or “very useful” in promoting understanding of the concepts discussed in class, as scored on a Lickert Scale."

Marrs 2004 (2)¶

Marrs, K.A., and Novak, G. (2004). Just-in-Time Teaching in Biology: Creating an Active Learner Classroom Using the Internet. Cell Biology Education 3, 49–61. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.03-11-0022

q2 · i? · design · r2

Attendance counts reported for Contemporary Biology after implementing graded cooperative learning exercises, with only one of two weekly exercises graded and students not knowing which. The article reports more than 85% attendance, averaging 170 students per session.

"In a class of usually more than 200 students, more than 85% of the class is in attendance—with an average of 170 students per class session, an almost doubling of the numbers of students attending class before cooperative learning exercises were implemented."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Test questions reinforced by Warm Up questions or Cooperative Learning activities showed higher average normalized gains (~52%, ~60%) than questions discussed in class only (~15%)
• Optional 'What is Biology Good For?' essays achieved >75% weekly participation and >90% of students reported they made science relevance clear — related
• Students rated class discussions of Warm Up responses as very useful (87%, n = 485) — related
• Applications to the summer school increased up to double the available positions, which the authors attribute to its active and cooperative learning — related
• JiTT implementation was associated with a decreased DFW rate in Contemporary Biology, from 27% to 20% — related