The Buddy Quiz: A collaborative assessment and a representation of the scientific enterprise

TL;DR

The paper introduces the Buddy Quiz, a collaborative assessment method that combines individual and group work to reflect the scientific enterprise's collaborative and individualistic nature, tested in a high school physics class.

Contribution

It presents the design and implementation of the Buddy Quiz as a novel assessment tool that integrates formative and summative evaluation in a collaborative setting.

Findings

Students responded positively to the collaborative format.

The quiz effectively represented scientific collaboration and individual effort.

The method enhanced student engagement and understanding.

Abstract

The form and function of a collaborative assessment known as a "Buddy Quiz" is presented. The assessment is conducted in three successive phases over a contiguous 45- to 60-minute class period. A portion of each Quiz is completed in collaboration with one or two peers and a portion is completed without collaboration. The Quiz is primarily summative and is also designed to include formative aspects. The representation in the Quiz of the scientific enterprise as collaborative and individualistic is discussed. The employment of this instrument in a ninth-grade (age 15 years) conceptual physics course in an independent US secondary school is described and student feedback is presented.