Create an Alternative Assessment
Review the course’s critical path to determine which learning outcomes were aligned with the final exam and still need to be assessed.
Identify an alternative assessment option that is best suited to the course’s teaching and learning goals.
Alternative Assignment Considerations:
Create an assignment that incorporates the thinking and/or activities that are used by professionals in your field. This is often referred to as “authentic assessment”.
Use assessment strategies that are meaningful and require students to apply their knowledge and higher order thinking skills.
When possible, provide students with choice (e.g. between two equivalent alternative assignments.)
Consider your students’ familiarity with the technology tool that will support this alternative assignment. Avoid assignments that will require your students to engage in additional technology training to successfully complete the assignment.
Take Home Exams: A Useful Opportunity
Not only are take home (open book) exams useful during campus closures, they are also very effective ways to assess your students’ knowledge while also helping them practice applying this knowledge after graduation. Take home exams do a much better job at approximating the real world than do high-stakes, timed exams.
Consider this: “How often in your professional life do you have a limited time window and no access to resources or expertise?” (Weimer, 2013). Instead of just rote memorization, it is critical that our students learn to gather and organize the information they learn, and access it when needed. Preparation for an open book exam can provide a great opportunity for students to practice using their resources to find answers in a more applied nature.
Think about your planned final exam, and consider these options:
Thank you to Ryerson University’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching for many ideas represented above.
Consider these tools to bring your ideas to life:
Video Presentations or Demonstrations
Blackboard Collaborate Ultra
Main Functionality: Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is an all-in-one fully interactive web conferencing environment. You and your students can collaborate using audio, video, and recording capabilities. You can also use a whiteboard, screen or application sharing.
What teachers need to do: 1) Set up Groups for students with access to Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. Allow all group members to create and access session recordings or 2) Create Blackboard Collaborate Sessions for each group or student to access. When setting up the sessions, select 'no end' so students can record the videos at the their convenience. Change ‘Default Attendee’ role to Moderator so students can record videos.
What students need to do: 1) Access Blackboard Collaborate through groups. Record video presentation. Recordings will be automatically saved to Blackboard or 2) Students access their Blackboard Collaborate Session through Blackboard. Record video presentation. Recordings will be automatically saved to Blackboard.
Help/Comments: Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Quick Reference Card (pdf)
Panopto
Main Functionality: Panopto is Humber’s video creation and streaming platform. Record from multiple sources (e.g. webcam, screen, PowerPoint slides) simultaneously.
What teachers need to do: Enable Panopto’s Assignment Folder
What students need to do: Instructions for students
Help/Comments: Contact Humber’s Panopto Support Team at panopto@humber.ca
YouTube Videos
Main Functionality: Public video sharing and streaming platform.
What teachers need to do: N/A
What students need to do: Sign up for an account. Record and upload video to Youtube as ‘Unlisted’. Share URL link with instructor.
Help/Comments: How to upload videos to YouTube
Flipgrid
Main Functionality: Flipgrid is a video sharing tool that engages students in discussions through short video creation. Incorporate rubrics to assess student work and provide feedback to students with video, audio or text. Students can watch other classmates’ videos and respond.
What teachers need to do: Create Educator account. Set up Grid (classroom) and Topic (discussion prompts/assignment space) for students.
What students need to do: Students access the topic with a link or QR code and need to log in with emails or student IDs (created and provided by the teacher). Students can record or upload videos up to 5 minutes.
Help/Comments: Getting Started with Flipgrid
Adobe Spark Video
Main Functionality: Adobe Spark Video is a free video creation tool that allows students to put together impactful videos in minutes.
What teachers need to do: N/A
What students need to do: Students must sign up for a free account. Create video by combining text, music, voice narration, image and video clips. Publish video and share link with instructor.
Help/Comments:
Idea Lab Adobe Spark Video - We also have guides to other video tools (e.g. narrated PowerPoints) on our Creating Videos site.
Reflection Papers or Written Assignments
Blackboard Journals
Main Functionality: Instructors can create journal assignments for students to reflect on the learning process and document changes in their perceptions and attitudes.
What teachers need to do: Create a journal
What students need to do: Create Journal Entries
Help/Comments: Blackboard Help - Journals - Creating a Journal - video
Blackboard Blogs
Main Functionality: A blog is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended to share with others. Most blogs also have a commenting feature, so that people can respond to one another's thoughts. Blogs also address the need to expand various aspects of social learning.
What teachers need to do: Create a Blog
What students need to do: Create Blog Entries
Help/Comments: Blackboard Help - Blogs - Create and edit blog entries - video
Blackboard Wikis
Main Functionality: Wikis allow course members to contribute and modify one or more pages of course-related materials and provide a means of sharing and collaboration. Course members can create and edit pages quickly, and track changes and additions.
What teachers need to do: Create a Wiki Topic
What students need to do: Create Wiki Pages
Help/Comments: Blackboard Help - Wikis - Create and Manage Wikis - video
Blackboard Assignments
Main Functionality: With assignments, you can create coursework and manage the grades and feedback for each student separately. You can create assignments in content areas, learning modules, lesson plans, and folders.
What teachers need to do: Create assignment for students on Blackboard.
What students need to do: Submit assignment through Blackboard.
Help/Comments: Blackboard Help - Assignments - Create an assignment - video
E-portfolios or Photo/Video Journals
Wordpress
Main Functionality: Wordpress is a website building tool. Upload and embed media.
What teachers need to do: N/A
What students need to do: Sign up for a free account, Create and customize website and share link with instructor.
Help/Comments: Wordpress Help
Google Sites
Main Functionality: Google Sites is a website building tool, part of Google Suite of Apps. Real-time collaboration features.
What teachers need to do: N/A
What students need to do: Access Google Sites through Google Suite of Apps. Build and customize website. Publish and share link with instructor.
Help/Comments:
Idea Lab: Creating Simple Websites - Google Sites guide and videos can be found under tutorials
Weebly
Main Functionality: Weebly is a website building tool.
What teachers need to do: N/A
What students need to do: Create a free account. Create and customize website. Share link with instructor.
Help/Comments: Weebly quick answer guide
