The impact of cheat sheet exams on student learning: Examination crutch or learning tool?
Session Type
Presentation
Room
Physics and Astronomy, room 148
Start Date
17-7-2025 3:00 PM
End Date
17-7-2025 3:30 PM
Keywords
studying strategies, crib sheets, evaluations, learning, pedagogical tool
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Allowing the use of a cheat sheet, also referred to as a note resource, in closed-book exams is an alternate evaluation method. While previous research suggests cheat sheets can reduce test anxiety (Ozer, 2021), their impact on learning remains debated, with conflicting results (Burns 2014, Dickinson & Bauer 2008, Nsor-Ambala, 2020). Furthermore, many studies focus on cheat sheets' effects on exam performance rather than learning outcomes (Larwin et al., 2013, Schneider & Hutt, 2014). This study aimed to assess whether cheat sheets hindered learning by acting as a crutch, called the dependency hypothesis, or facilitated more active learning, supporting the coding hypothesis (Dorsel & Cundiff, 1979). Participants from two third-year courses, Human Physiology and Human Pharmacological Therapeutic Principles (N = 72), submitted learning reflections, cheat sheets, and survey responses about their study strategies. The quality of cheat sheets were analyzed, along with reports of utilized learning strategies, grade performance and self-reflections of learning were analyzed from students who consented to the study (REB #122189). Analysis of these materials showed that while self-reports of changes to more active learning strategies did not correlate with improved exam performance, participants overwhelmingly reported that creating their cheat sheets reinforced their learning, supporting the notion that cheat sheets can enhance learning. Our findings suggest that cheat sheets are a valuable pedagogical tool that fosters student engagement and consolidation of knowledge, aligning with the coding hypothesis.
Elements of Engagement
Attendees will be presented with various exemplars of submitted cheat sheets and asked to judge the card for how useful they think it would have been for the student in the exam. Attendees will work in small groups to determine what types of elements may make a card more useful. These construction strategies will be compared to what measurements have been used by other researchers to identify a "quality' card.
The impact of cheat sheet exams on student learning: Examination crutch or learning tool?
Physics and Astronomy, room 148
Allowing the use of a cheat sheet, also referred to as a note resource, in closed-book exams is an alternate evaluation method. While previous research suggests cheat sheets can reduce test anxiety (Ozer, 2021), their impact on learning remains debated, with conflicting results (Burns 2014, Dickinson & Bauer 2008, Nsor-Ambala, 2020). Furthermore, many studies focus on cheat sheets' effects on exam performance rather than learning outcomes (Larwin et al., 2013, Schneider & Hutt, 2014). This study aimed to assess whether cheat sheets hindered learning by acting as a crutch, called the dependency hypothesis, or facilitated more active learning, supporting the coding hypothesis (Dorsel & Cundiff, 1979). Participants from two third-year courses, Human Physiology and Human Pharmacological Therapeutic Principles (N = 72), submitted learning reflections, cheat sheets, and survey responses about their study strategies. The quality of cheat sheets were analyzed, along with reports of utilized learning strategies, grade performance and self-reflections of learning were analyzed from students who consented to the study (REB #122189). Analysis of these materials showed that while self-reports of changes to more active learning strategies did not correlate with improved exam performance, participants overwhelmingly reported that creating their cheat sheets reinforced their learning, supporting the notion that cheat sheets can enhance learning. Our findings suggest that cheat sheets are a valuable pedagogical tool that fosters student engagement and consolidation of knowledge, aligning with the coding hypothesis.