Journal article
Supporting students before and after exams: exam retakes as a complement to exam previews
Physiology (Bethesda, Md.), v 41(S1)
May 2026
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Abstract
Abstract only In principle, exam retakes could benefit students in part by providing incentives to review and re-attempt types of problems that initially took them by surprise. A possibly complementary way of reducing negative consequences of surprising exam problems is to use exam preview methods to make each exam less surprising. This four-part study explored the feasibility and efficacy of combining exam retakes with an exam preview method called Test Question Templates (TQTs). Part 1 shows that, in a sample of 93 undergraduate anatomy & physiology (A&P) syllabi, < 10% explicitly allow exam retakes. Part 2 reports indirect evidence that exam retakes might benefit student learning even in courses that use exam previews. Part 3 indicates student feedback consistent with Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT), with widespread student approval of an implementation of exam retakes designed to maximize student motivation by not requiring submission of additional homework, by offering retakes during regular class hours, and by fully replacing prior scores with improved scores. Part 4 shows that, over four years of implementing this policy in undergraduate A&P courses, students with initial exam scores < 75% attempted more retakes and improved exam scores by more than students with initial exam scores >85%. While exam previews and exam retakes both require up-front investment of instructor effort, this study provides quantitative and qualitative data to support the simultaneous use of both. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.
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Details
- Title
- Supporting students before and after exams: exam retakes as a complement to exam previews
- Creators
- Gregory Crowther (Corresponding Author) - Everett Community CollegeKaren Perell-Gerson - Georgia Gwinnett CollegeLisa Anderson - University of Minnesota SystemUsha Sankar - Drexel UniversityStaci Johnson - Southern Wesleyan UniversityLekelia Jenkins - Arizona State UniversityKerri Wingert - Goodwin CollegeBenjamin Wiggins - Shoreline Community College
- Publication Details
- Physiology (Bethesda, Md.), v 41(S1)
- Publisher
- American Physiological Society
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Other Identifier
- 991022179440304721