Increased Course Structure Improves Performance in Introductory Biology
Open accessAbstract
We tested the hypothesis that highly structured course designs, which implement reading quizzes and/or extensive in-class active-learning activities and weekly practice exams, can lower failure rates in an introductory biology course for majors, compared with low-structure course designs that are based on lecturing and a few high-risk assessments. We controlled for 1) instructor effects by analyzing data from quarters when the same instructor taught the course, 2) exam equivalence with new assessments called the Weighted Bloom's Index and Predicted Exam Score, and 3) student equivalence using a regression-based Predicted Grade. We also tested the hypothesis that points from reading quizzes, clicker questions, and other "practice" assessments in highly structured courses inflate grades and confound comparisons with low-structure course designs. We found no evidence that points from active-learning exercises inflate grades or reduce the impact of exams on final grades. When we controlled for variation in student ability, failure rates were lower in a moderately structured course design and were dramatically lower in a highly structured course design. This result supports the hypothesis that active-learning exercises can make students more skilled learners and help bridge the gap between poorly prepared students and their better-prepared peers.
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Course grades in most STEM courses are largely driven by performance on examinations, even in active-learning courses that offer many nonexam points.
“Course grades in most STEM courses are largely driven by performance on examinations, even in active-learning courses that offer many nonexam points (39).”
From Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math (2020) · cites this paper as [39]
The Methods section (“Exam Impact on Final Course Grade”; page unavailable) says the authors intended exams to remain the primary determinant of grades even when many nonexam points were available. Table 4 in the Results shows that exam points strongly predicted final grades across the introductory biology sections studied. The paper does not establish that this holds in most STEM courses. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics
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“With these changes, the failure rate decreased dramatically (a 65% reduction; Freeman et al., 2011).”
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“Further, there is evidence that active learning reduces failure rates for unprepared students because they have the potential to build student learning skills as part of the activity design (Freeman et al., 2011; Styers et al., 2018; Theobald et al., 2020).”
Background
- Authors
- Freeman, S., Haak, D., & Wenderoth, M. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Freeman, Scott
- Venue
- CBE—Life Sciences Education
- Published
- 2011-06
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 175-186
- ISSN
- 1931-7913 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3105924
- OpenAlex
- W2147853043
- Cited by
- 306
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 49.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-sa
- Locations
- CBE—Life Sciences Education (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Funders
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Innovative Teaching Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Evaluation of Teaching Practices
- Social Sciences › Education › Science Education and Pedagogy
- Keywords
- course structure, active learning, reading quizzes, clicker questions, practice tests, introductory biology, student failure rates, grade inflation, instructor effects, student ability
- MeSH terms
- Biology, Curriculum, Educational Measurement, Students
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