The Impact of Two-Stage Testing and Other Tutorial CoLearning Activities on Cohort Cohesion and Learning Outcomes in a Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Course

Oct 15, 2026

Large enrollments in undergraduate courses create teaching and learning challenges that affect students’ experience and performance. Co-learning activities embedded in tutorials can improve the learning environment and support student development. This study examines a modified two-stage testing protocol and additional tutorial co-learning activities in a large-enrollment undergraduate research methods course. Survey and focus-group evidence show stronger cohort cohesion, while testing results demonstrate higher group-test grades and improved retention.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Study aims

Methods for cohort cohesion

Two-stage testing protocol

Results: cohesion and learning outcomes

Reported student experience

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 15 | Issue 2 | Article 3 | | --- | --- | | Summer 08-31-2024
The Impact of Two-Stage Testing and Other Tutorial Co-Learning Activities on Cohort Cohesion and Learning Outcomes in a LargeEnrollment Undergraduate Course
Sajeni Mahalingam
McMaster University, [mahals4@mcmaster.ca](mahals4@mcmaster.ca)[ ](mahals4@mcmaster.ca)Ali Moinuddin
McMaster University, [moinudda@mcmaster.ca](moinudda@mcmaster.ca)[ ](moinudda@mcmaster.ca)Veronica G. Rodriguez Moncalvo McMaster University, [rodrigvg@mcmaster.ca](rodrigvg@mcmaster.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca](https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca)
[https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.14931](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.14931) | | Recommended Citation Mahalingam, S., Moinuddin, A., & Rodriguez Moncalvo, V. G. (2024) . The impact of two-stage testing and other tutorial colearning activities on cohort cohesion and learning outcomes in a large-enrollment undergraduate course. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(2). [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.14931](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.14931) The Impact of Two-Stage Testing and Other Tutorial CoLearning Activities on Cohort Cohesion and Learning Outcomes in a Large-Enrollment Undergraduate Course Abstract Large enrollments in undergraduate courses pose several teaching and learning challenges that impact students’ learning experience and performance. Implementing co-learning activities in tutorials of large courses can help mitigate these challenges and improve the learning environment. One type of collaborative learning activity that has become increasingly popular is two-stage testing but there are limitations to how two-stage testing has been conducted. We undertook a study to elucidate whether our modified two-stage testing protocol and other co-learning activities performed in tutorials can enhance the learning experiences of undergraduate students and foster a sense of community in a largeenrollment research methods course. The specific aims of our study were to: 1) Assess whether colearning activities including two stage testing in tutorials improves learning outcomes and fosters cohort cohesion in a large-enrollment junior undergraduate science course. 2) Evaluate the impact of our modified two-stage testing approach on student learning and long-term retention. To assess cohort cohesion students were asked to complete a survey and were invited to participate in focus groups. Results indicated that tutorials did foster cohort cohesion among students in the tutorial. The tutorial activities helped scale down the course size and connect with their peers. We tested our modified twostage testing protocol by administering a two-stage test (an individual test consisting of short-answer questions followed by a group test that was comprised of a subset of the individual test questions that was completed during tutorials). Approximately three months after the individual test, a retention test was administered. Student grades were significantly higher in group tests compared to the individual tests. Interestingly, students on average scored 6.2% higher on the retention test questions that were from the group test, compared to questions that were only on the individual test. These results support the idea that group tests help improve student retention. Students reported tutorials and two-stage testing to be a positive learning experience. Le nombre élevé d'inscriptions dans les cours de premier cycle pose plusieurs problèmesd'enseignement et d'apprentissage qui ont un impact sur l'expérience d'apprentissage et les performances des étudiants et des étudiantes. La mise en œuvre d'activités de co-apprentissage dans les travaux dirigés des grands cours peut contribuer à atténuer ces difficultés et à améliorerl'environnement d'apprentis

FAQs

How do tutorial co-learning activities affect cohort cohesion?

Tutorial activities helped foster cohort cohesion, connecting students with their peers and effectively scaling down the course experience.

What was the modified two-stage testing protocol used in the study?

Students completed an individual short-answer test, followed by a group test in tutorials that used a subset of the individual questions.

How did group tests influence learning outcomes and retention?

Grades were significantly higher on group tests than on individual tests, and students scored about 6.2% higher on retention questions drawn from the group-test subset.

Oct 15, 2026

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