This SoTL research talk explores the use of reference sheets during testing and their effectiveness at reducing test takers anxiety. Reference sheets can be useful for decreasing student anxiety during test taking, thus increasing student performance. At first glance, a reference or “cheat” sheet may seem like an easy way for students to pass an exam without committing the content to memory. However, these sheets are only useful if students put the time into creating them, which increases healthy study habits and allows students to learn to identify the important information from a lesson while identifying gaps in their own understanding.
