Designing Group Examinations to Decrease Social Loafing and Increase Learning

Abstract

This study examines a method to decrease social loafing in a group examination. Students who met in teams during the semester took an exam in groups. Rules for the exam, based on the Jeopardy game show, facilitated both group and individual accountability. Feedback from students indicated that compared to a class that did not have group exams, students taking the group exam had less social loafing and had higher perceived levels of learning. Furthermore, among students taking the group exams, higher group participation was related to higher perceived performance and more positive attitudes about the exam. We developed a model for how the environment affects group processes which, in turn, affects group and individual outcomes.

Keywords

• Student teams
• Cooperative Learning
• Group Examinations
• Social Loafing
• Teaching Games