Alternative Assessments
One ever-present challenge in assessment is maintaining academic integrity. This seems especially daunting in the remote/online environment, but your creativity will carry you through it. And there are some tried-and-true strategies that will help you ensure that the work students do is their own.
Let's focus on creativity first. Timed exams are standard and common assessments, but there are other ways to assess student learning, and some may be more closely aligned with your learning outcomes. As you design your assessments, consider:
Focusing on higher order skills of analysis, critical thinking, problem solving and communication of thought process and solutions, as opposed to factual recall.
Allowing (or requiring) students to consult many sources to answer questions, as we do in the real world.
Encouraging collaboration instead of competition.
Spreading assessment through the term, rather than relying on a small number of high-stakes exams.
When we think of assessment, we often think of high-stakes activities like final exams and theses, but there’s more to assessment than finals. Low-stakes assessments serve many purposes in good teaching. Breaking down large assignments into smaller chunks with embedded formative low-stakes assessment can:
help students to better assess their progress and manage their time;
help instructors to learn where and how supplemental help needs to be provided to ensure that all students are equitably prepared; and
help establish a learning environment through review and regular communications between students and the instructor.
Review the following examples of alternative assessments. They may not work for all courses, subjects, or sets of learning outcomes, but they will give you a sense of the possibilities of assessment. (You'll notice that all of these assessments also serve as learning activities.)
Open-book Exam
Open-book exams require students to answer complex (and possibly real-world) problems while consulting course materials (e.g., a textbook or notes). Open-book exams can promote and assess higher order thinking skills like problem solving, synthesis and evaluation.
Tools:
Canvas Quiz
Gradescope app in a Canvas Assignment
Options:
Set specific times for the exam to open and close
Require a password and provide it to students immediately before the exam
Case Study
A case study presents students with a real-life or hypothetical scenario which is specific to the discipline and potentially what students might face in their careers. Case studies can be multidisciplinary and provide opportunities for students to apply concepts, research, and evaluate sources of information, and present their ideas. Cases can be simple and short or long and complex.
Tools:
Canvas Assignment
Canvas Discussion Forum
Zoom meeting
Options:
Ask students for a written submission
Ask students to present synchronously (in Zoom) or asynchronously (with pre-recorded video)
Ask students to study the case in groups
Podcast
A podcast is an audio narrative. It is not a recording of a student reading a traditional paper but rather a story. It allows students to demonstrate creativity and analytical skills.
Tools:
Options:
Give students the options of straight narrative or interview
Structure the assignment in stages: proposal, script, draft, final
Require students to submit practice recordings early in the term
Ask students to produce the podcast in groups
Critical Reflection
A critical reflection paper allows students to draw on critical and reflective thinking skills to articulate their learning. A critical reflection is not a summary of a reading but rather an opportunity for students to internalize and evaluate significant shifts in perspective that require openness and curiosity.
Tools:
Canvas Assignment
Google Document
Options:
Consult these sample critical reflection paper prompts from the University of Calgary
Concept Map
A concept map is a visual organization and representation of connections. It allows students to organize their knowledge and deepen their understanding. Concept maps can be used to assess students’ understanding of abstract and complex subject matter.
Tools:
PowerPoint / Google Slides
Paper and pencil + camera (for upload)
Options:
Individual or collaborative group assignment
Ask students to write a short paragraph explaining the concept map they’ve created or reflecting on the process
Provide specific instructions and expectations such as a grading rubric
Infographic
An infographic is a visual representation of information that uses charts, diagrams, pictures and icons, text, and color. An infographic requires students to analyze and synthesize information, and make evaluatory decisions.
Tools:
Options:
Ask students to submit their infographic with a short paper about their process
Ask students to review and comment (with guidance) on one another’s work
Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography requires students to summarize the most salient literature on a topic. Students develop skills in locating relevant literature, analyzing quality, understanding argument, and summarizing.
Tools:
Canvas Assignment
Google Document
Options:
Provide students with a spreadsheet or worksheet to guide their information gathering
News Article Critique
Critiquing a current news article related to the subject matter of a course can give students the opportunity to apply critical thinking skills and content knowledge to the wider world. It can be used to assess students’ understanding, ability to identify credible news sources, locate their own sources of information, express and justify their positions, and communicate their ideas.
Tools:
Canvas Assignment
Canvas Discussion
Options:
Provide examples of a news article critique and use the discussion board to discuss the elements of a good critique and news source
Post a rubric or assessment criteria to help guide students’ work
Guiding Questions
Guiding questions help students focus on their learning as they engage with text, video, or other artifacts or experiences. Your object in composing the questions is to ensure that students get the most from course materials.
Tools:
Canvas Assignment
Options:
Pose questions at the beginning of a module / in the assignment description rather than at the end
Question Banks & Question Groups
Canvas Question Groups allow you to add an element of randomness to a quiz or exam such that each student will have a different combination of questions.
Think of the Question Group as a hopper. It either holds a question bank (which can feed into any quiz) or two or more individual questions that serve as a mini bank (and don't feed into any other quiz). The quiz draws a specified number of questions from the bank or group.
This helps improve the security of online assessments.
Tools: