Interteaching in an asynchronous online class.

Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of interteaching versus traditional lecture-based teaching in two 9-week online asynchronous classes. Participants were undergraduate students enrolled in one of two sections of a psychology of learning course (N ϭ 62). The study used an alternating-treatments design, switching between interteaching and lecture-based teaching throughout the term. Type of instruction was counterbalanced across sections, so that material taught using interteaching in one section was taught using a standard lecture format in the other section. Results showed that weekly exam scores were significantly higher following interteaching compared to standard lecture-based teaching, p Ͻ .001, p 2 ϭ 0.18, 95% CI [0.03, 0.35]. Students also scored more points on the final exam on material that had been taught using interteaching, p Ͻ .001, p 2 ϭ 0.20, 95% CI [0.04, 0.36], which indicates that interteaching improves long-term retention of information. Students reported learning more during interteaching and rated the overall quality of interteaching as significantly higher than standard lecture, p ϭ .002, p 2 ϭ 0.18, 95% CI [0.03, 0.35]. Overall, the present findings showed that interteaching was more effective and preferred than standard lecture in an online asynchronous classroom, which suggests that the benefits of interteaching are not limited to traditional classroom environments.

The Effects of Cumulative and Noncumulative Exams Within the Context of Interteaching

“…Therefore, each week students (a) submitted answers to a 30-question prep guide, (b) discussed prep guide questions in groups on an asynchronous written discussion board, (c) uploaded a record sheet, and (d) watched a brief clarifying lecture delivered via PowerPoint on a weekly basis. For additional details on the interteaching components of this study, see Gayman et al ( 2018 ).…”

“…One teaching method accumulating a growing body of empirical evidence supporting its efficacy is interteaching. Interteaching is a relatively new behavioral approach to college instruction in which contingencies are arranged in support of frequent student engagement and peer-to-peer collaboration, and lectures are reduced to a supportive, supplementary role (Gayman et al, 2018 , 2020 ). In addition to producing better learning outcomes (for reviews, see Hurtado-Parrado et al, 2021 ; Querol et al, 2015 ; Saville et al, 2011 ; Sturmey et al, 2015 ), students have reported interteaching to be more enjoyable (Querol et al, 2015 ; Saville et al, 2011 ), and interteaching has been shown to improve long-term retention (Felderman, 2014 ; Saville et al, 2014 ).…”

“…Next, quality points are awarded to students based on how well members of their discussion group perform on certain questions from the weekly exam. In this way, quality points are thought to encourage cooperative behaviors during small group discussion, as students may be more likely to shape peer responding if part of their grade depends on the adequacy of this discussion (Gayman et al, 2018 , 2020 ). However, the impact of these contingencies may be negligible.…”

Using Interteaching to Promote Online Learning Outcomes

“…Even though interteaching relies on peer interactions, at least three empirical studies have demonstrated that it can be effective in an online learning environment (Gayman et al 2018;Rieken et al 2018;Soldner et al 2017). For example, Gayman et al evaluated effects of interteaching on undergraduate student performance and retention in an asynchronous online class.…”

“…For example, in the Fall of 2017, at least 34% (6.6 million out of 19 million) of students enrolled at degree-granting postsecondary institutions had taken an online course (United States Department of Education 2018). Further, enrollment in online classes has been increasing and even outpaced overall enrollment in higher education Seaman 2010, 2013) and there have been numerous descriptive and experimental studies examining online pedagogy (Blackman et al 2020;Crawford-Ferre and West 2012;Gayman et al 2018;Heinicke et al 2017;Kentnor 2015;Malkin et al 2018;Rieken et al 2018;Rios et al 2018;Sieber 2005;Watts 2016). In a recent review, Sun and Chen (2016) summarized some key design factors that need to be considered to make online instruction effective.…”