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Molecules to Ecosystems is our second-semester Introductory Biology course that challenges students to make connections across scales. Students complete four unit exams and a cumulative final that requires them to analyze figures and data, transfer knowledge to new scenarios, and synthesize concepts in short answer responses. As such, this course can be challenging for students with varying levels of high school biology preparation or those who are still developing effective study strategies. In order to support self-directed learning, we have implemented exam wrappers after each regular exam. This 19-question metacognitive tool encourages students to reflect on their learning strategies and exam performance, and to develop a plan for future study. The wrappers combine quantitative and free-response questions that encourage student metacognition, defined as the ability to identify gaps in knowledge and address them, while also improving learning strategies overall. In addition to promoting student development, analysis of exam wrapper responses provides an opportunity for faculty to evaluate student learning. We will present our findings addressing three main research questions: 1. Do exam wrappers promote meaningful student reflection to adopt better learning strategies? 2. What learning habits distinguish thriving, succeeding, and developing students? 3. Can differences in student learning habits be used to design instructional resources? Our results indicate differences in self-testing, study guide completion, maintenance studying, and metacognitive practices between student groups. Qualitative analyses added an additional dimension by capturing insightful details of student processes. We will describe how this approach informed development of targeted instructional resources for all students, and helped us refine support for developing students. Overall, exam wrappers have provided a valuable window into the student experience, enabling students to make self-guided changes to their learning strategies while allowing instructors to make evidence-based improvements to instruction and student support.
