Connor Evers

Plant identification courses are historically challenging at the collegiate level. This human subjects, IRB-approved SoTL study evaluated low-stakes quizzing as a means to improve overall scores and retention of the plant material in Iowa State University’s horticulture woody plant identification course (HORT 240). A portion of each weekly plant list was quizzed using in-class Top Hat quizzes before the weekly plant walk quizzes and compared to walk quiz plants that did not receive Top Hat quizzing. Preliminary results indicate no overall, class-wide effect of low-stakes quizzing or by student earned course grade level, but there are many variables to consider for the lack of a clear trend. This study has plans to repeat in the Fall of 2020 where additional variables will be considered to contextualize the results.

Duration: 12/10/2019

Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Grant Thompson