Because of the recent transition to virtual teaching, you may want to alter your assessment strategies for the remainder of the semester. Obstacles to traditional exams include:
Other ideas to consider:
Below you will find information organized into four broad categories: presentations, authentic assessments, low-stakes assesments, and modification of traditional exams.
Note: Students can present during a Collaborate session; however, students with limited internet access or in different time zones may not be able to present during the scheduled course time.
YuJa is the university’s video streaming and storage provider. The tool is easy to install on a computer and is also available on smart phones as an app.
Authentic, real-world, or performance assessment refers to assignments that replicate real-world activities – assessments that require students to apply knowledge beyond the confines of the classroom setting. These assessments require students to do things like transfer knowledge to new contexts, solve problems or simulate a workplace experience, and they tend to resonate with students because they seem purposeful and relevant.
One way to organize authentic assessments is to think of them as “final projects” with checkpoints set up along the way. Students work on portions of the assignment each week, with the final product due near the end of the semester. The CETL staff would love to consult with you about possible projects.
In lieu of high-stakes assessments, consider replacing with a few lower-stakes assignments. Possibilities include:
Another alternative is to give students “repeating quizzes,” which derive from findings on the “testing effect.” Students can take a quiz multiple times, with the highest score being recorded. The benefit is that by reviewing questions repeatedly, students retain information for longer periods of time.
Should you decide to administer a traditional, high-stakes exam, consider the following options:
Portions of this page are derived from the Remote Exam Kit published by Portland State University's Office of Academic Innovation. The content on that page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.