Comparing Student-Created to Teacher-Created Study Guides Within An Interteaching Framework

Background: The role of the preparation or study guide in interteaching is relatively unexplored. One study demonstrated that having students create their own study guide was just as effective as completing a teacher-created study guide. Objective: The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend the methods of previous research to compare the effects of student-created to teacher-created study guides on student learning. Method: We compared the effects of teacher-created to student-created study guides on student quiz scores within the context of an interteaching framework using multi-element designs. We counterbalanced the order of study guide implementation for a total of 24 quizzes across two classes of 25 students each. Results: Quiz scores were high overall, and the most effective study guide type varied across class sections; student-created was more effective for Class 1 and teacher-created was more effective for Class 2. Conclusion: Interteaching resulted in high quiz scores (above 80%) overall, regardless of study guide type. There may be an interaction between discussion length, instructor, and study guide type that warrants further investigation. Teaching Implications: The results of this study suggest that instructors using the interteaching format can save time in preparing for their class by having the students create their own study guides while still promoting quality learning.