2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This work in progress identifies student levels of knowledge achieved during a Peer-Led Study Group (PLSG) intervention within a thermodynamics course at the institution. Following a study of student cognitive level of processing, this study continues an observational study using Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy as a methodological basis [1]. Specifically, this work aims to answer 1) What levels of knowledge are observed within question-prompted student discussions in PLSGs? and 2) To what extent do these knowledge levels observed impact student pass-rates and/or final grades?

Using a recently developed observational protocol, student question-prompted discussions were organized using Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy as a basis [1]. The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy model is a tool for identifying student expected applications and understanding of course content through the knowledge and cognitive levels, respectively [2, 3]. Specifically, the knowledge dimension is organized into factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive levels; these correspond to recalling basic information, connecting concepts, solving using course techniques and methodologies, and self-awareness of cognition, respectively [2]. Student-prompted discussions were recorded weekly during 20-minute observation periods occurring within 50-minute recitations over a 13-week course. The eight selected groups were observed for an average of 10 weeks. All groups within the course were organized primarily by Beginning of Term (BoT) GPA, taking demographics such as race, ethnicity, and gender differences into account as a secondary factor. In addition, First-Time Full-Time (FTFT) and Transfer (TRN) student admission statuses were used as a point of group organization where applicable. The eight observed groups were selected based on the available student population enrolled in the course and the demographics of each group. In the cognitive processing level research, students question-prompted discussions were categorized based on 1-3 associated verbs [1]. These verbs corresponded to the remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create levels of the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy model [2].

Results from the study show a range of cognitive processing was observed. The most common level observed was the factual level of the knowledge dimension, with the “state” verb as the most utilized. However, there are several instances of student question-prompted discussions reaching as high as the procedural level of the knowledge dimension. Of the 1,300 question-prompted discussions recorded, the most prevalent cognitive levels observed were remember and understand, which made up ~38% and ~15% of discussions, respectively. Of the remember level, the factual knowledge level makes up a majority of the data, with procedural knowledge frequently being discussed from the understand level.