This document summarizes research on using quizzes in college courses to promote student engagement and learning. It finds that frequent quizzes can increase student preparation, attendance, and participation if administered correctly. Specifically, it recommends in-class or online quizzes covering new material that include feedback and questions similar to subsequent assessments. The document also calls for additional research on the ideal format for quizzes and their impacts on different types of exams and student behaviors.

1.  Lecture is the primary instructional method used in most
undergraduate courses (National Center for Educational
Statistics, 2002)
 Instructors can enhance their lectures in several ways to
promote student active learning (Bonwell & Eison, 1991;
Bonwell, 1996)
 One active learning technique is the quiz (i.e., shorter, more
frequent exam; Bonwell, 1996)
 Introducing students to quizzing has many benefits for the
student and their performance
Additional Considerations
Evidence Based Recommendations Regarding the Use of Quizzes in College Courses
Erin Law, Kathryn Glodowski, and Rachel Thompson
Ideal Student Behavior Quiz Programming Recommended
Preparation outside of class
Frequent in-class or online quizzes covering new material (Azorlosa, 2012; Marcell,
2008; Mawhinney et al., 1971)
Attendance of class
Frequent in-class quizzes with a required grade-related contingency (Hovell et al.,
1979; Lloyd et al., 1972)
Participation during class
In-class or online quizzes covering new material (Marcell, 2008; Narloch et al.,
2006)
Performance on subsequent
assessments
In-class or online quizzes with MC, FIB, or SA questions, feedback for the accuracy
of the quiz answers, covering similar material as the subsequent assessment
(Azorlosa, 2011; Butler & Roediger, 2008; Butler, Karpicke, & Roediger, 2007;
Butler, Pyzdrowski, Goodykoontz, & Walker, 2008; Daniel & Broida, 2004; Kang,
McDermott, & Roediger, 2007; McDermott, Agarwal, D’Antonio, Roediger, &
McDaniel, 2013)
Combination of all ideal
student behavior
Frequent in-class quizzes covering new material with MC, FIB, or SA questions, a
required grade-related contingency for quiz performance, feedback for the
accuracy of quiz answers, and similar material on subsequent assessments
Introduction
 More descriptions regarding the time requirement for preparing,
administering, and grading in-class and online quizzes
 Evaluations of the grading contingency necessary to produce
improvements in student behavior (e.g., Elikai & Baker, 1980; Lloyd
et al., 1972; Marcell, 2008; Mawhinney et al., 1971; Wilder et al.,
2001)
 Further research evaluating quiz question type on various forms of
exams in college courses, especially if the exam consists of short
essay questions (e.g., Azorlosa & Renner, 2006)
 More evaluations of providing effective feedback for quiz answers
when in-class quizzes are provided
 Research on the influence of quiz content (i.e., new or review) on
subsequent class time
 Additional comparative analyses to determine the ideal quiz
arrangement that is relatively time efficient, effective for improving
several ideal student responses, and preferred by college students
 Online quizzing:
 Saves class time, provides automatic feedback and grading
(e.g., Daniel & Broida, 2004), but it may require time to set
up and monitor throughout the semester
 Consider including a required grade, a time limit, and a
random selection of questions from a larger pool (Brothen &
Wambach, 2004; Daniel & Broida, 2004)
 Should also consider an attendance contingency, such as
providing a sign-in sheet (e.g., Shimoff & Catania, 2001) or
points for attendance (e.g., Lloyd et al., 1972)
 Avoid true-false questions, because college students remember
false statements as correct on subsequent assessments (Brown
& Nix, 1996)
 Quizzes covering new material may have a wider-spread of
effects and allow more time in class to cover more complex
material (Azorlosa, 2012; Baldwin, 1980; Michaelson, 1994)
Quiz Benefits
 Frequent quizzes increase student preparation outside of
class (Azorlosa, 2012; Marcell, 2008; Mawhinney, Bostow,
Laws, Blumenfeld, & Hopkins, 1971)
 Research indicates that in-class quizzes increase student
attendance (Azorlosa, 2012; Hovell, Williams, & Semb, 1979;
Lloyd et al., 1972; Wilder, Flood, & Stromsnes, 2001)
 In-class or online quizzes also increase student participation
during class (Marcell, 2008; Narloch et al., 2006)
 Providing quizzes also improves students’ exam scores
(Daniel & Broida, 2004; Gier & Kreiner, 2009; Johnson &
Kiviniemi, 2009; Lyle & Crawford, 2011)
 College students also rate quizzes favorably (e.g., Azorlosa,
2012; Marcell, 2008; Powell, Straub, Rodriguez, & VanHorn,
2011)
Purpose of the Review
 Quizzes provide many benefits for college
students, however there are many ways
instructors can implement quizzes
 We conducted a qualitative review of the
literature to provide evidence-based
recommendations on how instructors can
effectively incorporate quizzes to support several
different ideal student responses
Future Research