The Impact of Exit Slips on Student Learning: The Effect of Content and Reflection Exit Slips on Quiz Scores
Elizabeth Thomson
Introduction & Background
Formative assessment (FA) is a method to check
on student learning and gathers information from
students to inform future teaching. Numerous
studies indicate that FA is an effective method for
teachers to gauge student learning and helps with
student retention of information.
Exit slips are one FA strategy that offers a helpful
way for students to synthesize, review and reflect
on the content or on the learning process.
Literature Review
Formative assessments can occur during
instruction as a check on student understanding,
or can exist as part of the planned material.
Spontaneous FA is effective for immediately
adapting instruction based on student feedback.
Planned FA involve pre-determined questions or
activities that gauge student understanding. Exit
slips are FA collected at the end of a class period.
Factors that impact the FA include the teacher’s
skills and knowledge to explain, administer FA
and respond with feedback, the adaptation of
teaching strategies, the classroom culture and
student understanding of the FA activity. FA is a
robustly researched practice. However, few of the
studies connect the use of FA directly to specific
educational outcomes and specifically examine
the use of exit slips. The current study addresses
this gap in the research.
Rationale
This research was completed in Pre AP Biology
courses, which is an advanced and fast paced
class. Students enrolled in this class are
Freshmen adjusting to the demands of high
school. Therefore, understanding content and
developing effective study habits are essential for
student success.
. students wanted to review, which informed the in class
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify the utility
of content and reflection based exit slips on
student learning.
Research Questions
1. How do content- based exit slips impact
student learning?
2. How do reflection – based exit slips impact
student learning?
Hypothesis
Hypotheses predicted that when students
completed content and reflection exit slips,
student learning measured via quiz scores would
increase.
Center for Educator Preparation, School of Education, Colorado State University
Method
Data was collected at a Northern Colorado suburban
school in 3 sections of Pre AP Biology. The data
collection tools were quiz scores and content and
reflection exit slips administered via Google Classroom.
Data collection was completed for 2 quizzes.
Tuesday (2 days before quiz)
Thursday

Quiz review in class
based on feedback from
exit slips
 have radically different study habits (Figures 2 and 3).
Friday
Tuesday (quizzes returned) Quiz
10/28/2019 quiz on cell

organelles and
microscope parts
11/8/2019 quiz on cell
transport
Quiz grades were collected for 3 time points: 1. the
quiz before beginning exit slip data collection, 2. the
quiz on 10/28/19 and 3. the quiz on 11/8/19.
Data Analysis
Quiz Scores
• The mean and standard deviation for all 3 time points
for all students is presented in Graph 1.
Content – Based Exit Slips
• The content exit slips were analyzed for concepts that
review prior to the quiz. (Data not presented)
Reflection – Based Exit Slips
• The 4 most common student habits were identified
from the reflection exit slips. For each study habit,
quiz mean percentages were calculated for all 3 time
points, which is presented in Graph 2.
• The mean quiz percentage was derived for students
who identified changing study habits between time
points 1 and 2 and is shown on Graph 3.
• Common study habits for all students were identified
and are presented in Figure 1.
• Study habits for students that increased quiz
percentage between the control quiz and time point 1
Figure 2: Study habits for students
and the control quiz and time point 2 were identified
and the mean quiz percentage difference was
compared. This is presented in Figures 2 and 3.
Results Significance of Findings
• Quiz percentages did not increase dramatically across the • The use of content and reflection exit slips did
3 time points (Graph 1). not increase mean quiz percentages to
• The most common study habits were reading over notes, practical significance.
studying with a parent or friend, re-writing notes and • Students that changed study habits between
making flashcards/Quizlet (Figure 1). reflection exit slips increased mean quiz
• Students who studied with a parent/ friend had the highest percentage to practical significance.
quiz percentages at time 1 and 2 across the 3 time points • Students who studied with a parent/friend had
compared to the other 3 most common study habits the highest mean quiz percentages compared
(Graph 2). to the other most common study habits.
• Students who changed study habits between time 1 and • The most common study habits did not
time 2 increased quiz percentages compared to the change for students that increased their quiz
control (Graph 3). percentage.
• Students who increased their quiz percentage between In summary:
the control and time 1 or the control and time 2 did not • Students with a fluid and exploratory mindset
who work with others performed better on
quizzes.
Graph 1: (n=96)
• Multiple factors likely influence student
Control mean = 81%, SD performance on quizzes.
= 4.00
Time point 1 mean =
84%, SD = 4.04
Action Plan
Time point 2 mean =
The plan is to continue exploring the utility of exit
82%, SD = 5.05
slips in the classroom. Having a conversation
with students about the utility and importance of
these exit slips may increase effectiveness
Figure 1: Study habits
because some students were not taking this
reported by all students
activity seriously. Additionally, establishing a
(n=96).
routine around exit slips might increase
effectiveness. The exit slips were completed at
only 4 time points throughout the semester and
the start of data collection did not coincide with
Graph 2:
the start of the semester. In the future, exit slip
Read notes (n = 51)
routines should begin at the beginning of a
Studied with
semester or unit.
parent/friend (n = 15)
Rewrote notes (n=4)
Quizlet/Flashcards
(n = 15) Limitations
Limitations for this study include:
• The completion of only 2 cycles of data
Graph 3: (n = 19) collection
Control mean quiz = 76% • Not having a control classroom, meaning a
Time1 mean quiz = 89% class of the same content with the same
Time 2 mean quiz = 87% quizzes that does not complete the exit slip
activity
• Not controlling for difficulty of the quiz material
Given a longer time frame for data collection to
accommodate changes class schedules, more
data collection cycled would be completed. All
classes were included in the formative
assessment exercises because the researcher
and teacher believed that participating was of
benefit of to the students. Therefore, the design
Figure 3: Study habits for included all Pre AP- Biology students. Future
(n=28) that  quiz percentage students (n=21) that  quiz
designs should address the need for a control
between control & time 1; percentage between control &
with the ethical considerations of students.
mean  = 15% time 2, mean  = 13%