FINAL EXAM CONSIDERATIONS

Exams at a Distance

Instructors have significant flexibility as to how to complete their courses, and it is essential that they clearly communicate their plans to their students immediately. As a university, our goal is to make sure that students’ academic work is fairly recognized and that course disruption does not disadvantage students’ current or future academic progress.

When courses include a final, instructors must identify an exam option that students can complete and submit online. That could be a project, paper, video, podcast, presentation, or a traditional test.

FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE

Spring 2020 Final Exam Schedule

Other considerations

Any final exam that needs to be administered during a specific time frame needs to follow the Academic Calendar and Final Exam Schedule. If you have questions about your final exam schedule - such as the time to hold an exam for a course that was already online, handling asynchronous project deadlines in place of a set exam, or what to do if multiple courses, or faculty, have a conflicting final exam time - please contact your Department Chair.

Due to COVID-19, it’s important to remember that many of our students are facing personal challenges and dramatically different environments not anticipated when their semester began. Whether your course/exam has moved from face to face to remote learning, or was already online, please be as flexible and understanding, as possible.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Online Learning Toolkit

An online toolkit to help you move traditional exams to an online environment using Canvas and other resources. Provides straightforward ways to put short answer, essay, multiple choice, etc. exams into Canvas.

Things to Consider

Sometimes traditional exams in the online environment throw us a curve ball. An infographic of issues to consider.

Alternative Assessment Strategies Downloadable Infographic

Sometimes traditional exams don't work well in the online environment. A quick infographic of options to consider.

Tips for Students Taking Online Tests

ACES has put together a tip sheet for students who will be taking online tests. Since this will be a new experience for many students, making this resource available to them ahead of time can help to lessen anxiety about an online exam.

Steps You Should Take Now...

Create a plan for how you will administer a virtual final exam/project. This could include an open-book/take-home exam, using Canvas to administer a timed/locked down exam, or an alternate assignment as enumerated below.
Communicate your plan with students via email and on Canvas. Be transparent and request that they share specific concerns or needs with you via email 48-hours in advance.
Share the Help Desk number and email with your students: 1-620-341-5555/helpdesk@emporia.edu
A global crisis of this scale is unprecedented in many students’ life time. Please read through ESU’s procedures for responding to students in distress, or contact Lynn Hobson or Shelly Gehrke.
Send a reminder email at least two-hours before the final exam. This is especially important if the evaluation will be administered synchronously.
Share instructions for minimizing distraction during online testing: find a private space, close the door, ask roommates for space, silence notifications, block distracting websites, mute computer microphone, and silence cell phones. Ask that family members limit computer use during an evaluation.
Let students know when and how they can expect their final exam/project grades.

(Source: Corinne Lengsfeld, The University of Denver)

Addressing Testing Accommodations

Don’t forget to prepare for students who have documented disabilities. Some issues to consider:

You can set up additional time for exams in Canvas.
All learning technology tools at ESU provide assistive technology components, such as closed captions, transcripts, and/or screen reading features. Depending on the type of test you administer, you may need to make sure these features are enabled. Check with the Learning Design team for more information.
Be aware that if you use a hard-bound textbook, remote students may not be able to use it without special accommodations.
All faculty have access to Blackboard ALLY inside Canvas. Please check your final exam materials using ALLY to be sure they meet accessibility standards.
Students may not have ready access to the SASS office. Please be aware that many students need additional support, empathy, and consideration in order to complete their courses.
Check all uploaded content, such as Word, PowerPoint, PDF, etc using the built-in accessibility checkers that are included with those products.

Alternative Assessment Strategies

Alternative testing strategies can be accomplished using a variety of tools that ESU supports, including Canvas, Zoom, Panopto, Kaltura, Flipgrid, Jamboard, Folio, Spark, Hypothes.is and many others. Below are some strategies and tools to consider:

Teach Back

In this procedure, the examinee/learner is asked to “teach back” a concept or algorithm. The “learner audience” may be the examiner, a classmate, or simply subsumed. The concept or algorithm may have just been presented to the examinee/learner for the first time prior to the teach-back or may be part of a long-term assessment.

Example. Imagine you are teaching a third-grader how to add fractions with different denominators. You may assume that this third-grader understands how to add fractions with the same denominator. Be sure your teaching is linked to the student's prior knowledge of fractions and indicates opportunities where student feedback would be possible. Finally, indicate at least two directions where future lessons on fractions could proceed.

Tools That Can Be Used: Zoom for live or Panopto for recorded. If you want to limit the teach-back to five minutes or less and ask other students to comment to one another, Flipgrid would be a great option. Students can enhance the presentation with Spark, PowerPoint, or Slides.

LONG ESSAY

The examinee/learner is required to write a paper with or without constraints of length, time, and/or topic. Long essays can be restricted to a preset number of pages, writing time period, or area of response.

Example. You have three hours to respond to the following topic:

How would you define problem solving? Include with your definition a discussion of how your definition fits or does not fit with that of other theorists or researchers in the field. Then choose two issues related to either assessing or teaching problem solving, describe each issue and outline (being specific) the research goals and or studies necessary to create a more complete understanding or resolution of the issue. Include your rationale along with relevant research citations.

Tools That Can Be Used: Canvas quiz/test with essays enabled; Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

Demonstrations & digital Story telling

This item type requires a physical presentation or performance delivered under real or simulated conditions in which the object of assessment is in some substantial part the manner of performance and not simply its result. Examples include repairing part of an automobile engine, playing an instrument, diagnosing a patient's illness, and giving a theatrical audition.

Example. Perform two contrasting solo pieces not to exceed two minutes each. Timing begins with an introduction in which you announce the audition in the following manner: “My name is (given name). My first piece is from (title of play) by (author). I play the part of (character).”

Props are limited to one stool, two chairs, and one table. To allow you to show your versatility, it is to your advantage to have the greatest possible contrast between your pieces. You will be judged on your ability to demonstrate control of material; flexibility of voice, movement, and expression, and vocal and physical articulation.

Tools That Can Be Used: Zoom for live or Panopto for recorded. If you want to limit the demonstration to five minutes or less and ask other students to comment to one another, Flipgrid would be a great option. Students can enhance the presentation with Spark, PowerPoint, or Slides.

TERM PROJECTS

Over the length of an entire course, the examinee/learner may be asked to work on a project that may or may not be subject to certain constraints of topic, length, or type of presentation. Examples include conducting a long-term science experiment, composing a rock opera, compiling and editing a collection of field notes to on-site classroom observations, conducting formative research on a project proposal, and creating and presenting a poster for a professional conference.

Example: Imagine you are making a presentation at a professional conference about your field work. Develop a large poster board that displays the following information: your research question(s), site description adequate to briefly familiarize conferees with the setting, description of methods employed, explanation of any concepts, theories, or frameworks which shaped the study, summary of results, and noteworthy theoretical or methodological outcomes. The information should be presented in a manner so that conferees can quickly gather enough information to then join ongoing conversations.

Tools That Can Be Used: Any manner of creative or presentation tools, including the Adobe suite, Microsoft products, Google products, etc. Tools can also include Zoom, Panopto, or Flipgrid.

Portfolios

The portfolio is a collection over time of a selected class of constructed responses most closely associated assessing a particular construct or set of constructs. Portfolios typically are global representations of the learner's work in a course with four purposes: review - to indicate content mastery; growth - to indicate progressive development; showcase - to present evidence of quality work; and presentation - items delivered to a specific audience.

Example. At the end of this course, you are to submit a portfolio of some (or all) of your work. Your portfolio should include the following:

Cover sheet - delineating the purpose(s) of the collection, the general curricular focus, how the specific samples measure the purpose(s) including multiple measures for each purpose if possible, a scoring rubric with your rationale, and your own assessment of the portfolio grade.
Specific samples - the collection should be clearly organized to match the purpose(s) and scoring rubric.
Reflective pieces - Each sample should be accompanied by a brief essay reflecting your end-of-the-course understanding of this particular item and how it now fits in with the entire portfolio.

Tools That Can Be Used: Canvas Folio, PowerPoint, Google Apps for Education, Adobe Spark for video portfolios.

team projects

Require students work in teams to solve a project-based assignment, and make a presentation to the class. Teams should be no more than 5 students and be randomly assigned.

Example. Teams make a business case presentation regarding a new business plan or product launch. Each member of the team assumes a different role in the company and must present a aspect of the business plan.

case studies & VIDEO SIMULATIONS

Case studies present fictional scenarios that include a dilemma that requires problem solving. Students must apply higher order thinking skills in order to evaluate and apply knowledge, and to analyze the problem. Simulations ask students to play and act out various roles within a case. This can include mock trials, mock city council or legislative meetings, and mock meetings of corporation stockholders or school boards. In simulations, students require background information that they then apply to the role.

Example: Students are asked to role-play a scenario where they are talking to a client or patient. Students must structure questions as if they were in an actual interview

Students are asked to perform a conversation using American Sign Language (ASL) while in a webconference.

Reflective Blogs, WIKIS, JOURNALS

This works well with longer projects. The chronological nature of blogs and journals means students can show their growth as they reflect along the way. Alternatively, students can work in teams to generate a collaborative wiki or a journal.

Example. Ask the students to develop a reflective blog or journal regarding their experiences in dealing with the pandemic.

Tools That Can Be Used: Google Docs for wikis, Microsoft Word, Microsoft OneNote

Live Web Annotations

Enable sentence-level note taking or critique on top of classroom reading, news, blogs, scientific articles, books, terms of service, ballot initiatives, legislation and more.

Example. Ask the students to collectively live annotate over a web site by providing fact-checking, sourcing, and other critique.

Tools That Can Be Used: Hypothes.is

Podcasts

Audio only or audio-enhanced visual presentations are a great alternative to traditional assessments. Students can create their podcasts using any number of products.

Example.

During one face-to-face session of the class students brainstormed themes within the course content to be potential topics for podcast episodes.

In groups of three, students were responsible for choosing one of these topics to address and develop into one audio-based podcast episode from start to finish. Small groups were beneficial for this style of assignment as students could work collaboratively to develop their new skills as audio producers. The final podcast was to be approximately 10 minutes in length. The students were responsible for collecting research on their topic, developing a script, conducting interviews, recording voice-overs, and editing their podcast together using Audacity.

Tools That Can Be Used: Audacity, Adobe Audition, Camtasia, Screen-Cast-O-Matic

Take home exams/Open book exams

Take home exams allow instructors to give students problems which will take longer than a class period to manage and/or require the students to use a variety of references. However, they limit student studying to only the material related to the questions asked and instructors do not know if students received help in answering the questions. Because students can use books and notes, open book exams encourage students to learn to apply knowledge rather than memorize material. They are usually somewhat less anxiety-provoking than regular tests.

(Source: University of Minnesota)

Collaborative Testing

Some instructors have students take multiple choice tests in pairs or small groups. This approach which allows students to discuss the materials and ‘teach each other’ usually increases the students’ grasp of the material. There are several alternative ways to use collaborative testing. Some instructors allow students to discuss the test with their group, but ask each student to turn in his/her own answer sheet; group members do not need to agree on answers. Others require the group to come to an agreement on answers; each group hands in one answer sheet and each group member receives the same grade. A third option is a combination of the two: Class members first take the test individually and hand in their answers to receive an individual grade. Then they take the same test (or portion of the test) as a group and individuals are assigned bonus points based on the group’s performance (e.g., for group tests of 95% or better, individuals receive 3 bonus points, 89-94% receive 2 points, etc.). If tests are to be taken collaboratively, test items should be written at the higher levels of the taxonomy.

(Source: University of Minnesota)