Teach.Learn.Share

Bonus: Two-stage exams strategy exchange

Interested in learning about different ways to implement two-stage exams? In this episode, McGill instructors Lawrence Chen, Alice Cherestes, Laura Pavelka, and David Titley-Peloquin join Jasmine and Margo for an exchange about how they use two-stage exams to assess their students’ learning. Listen in to hear them compare their practices and offer recommendations for instructors who are thinking about adopting this assessment strategy. 

Bonus: Obstacles to promoting student well-being, with Kira Smith

In our inaugural season, we spoke to members of the McGill community about how to leverage learning-focused assessment practices with the aim of improving student well-being. Among our guests was Kira Smith, who spoke to her research on post-secondary instructors’ engagement in supporting student mental health by means of their assessment strategies. In this episode, Kira returns to help Jasmine and Margo explore some of the obstacles—both personal and institutional—to building a culture of learning that fosters and supports students’ well-being.

Explain it in three minutes: Using micro lectures to help students develop communication skills

Many undergraduate students may go on to be policy-makers. Why not have them practice the skill of translating complex concepts and issues into a “pitch” that shows students’ engagement with the course content? This idea became Dr. Tari Ajadi’s three-minute micro lecture assessment, a strategy that he first tried when asked to prepare one himself for a conference. As they engage with a format that is less familiar to them, students reflect on how to best communicate their understanding of the course’s problems in a three-minute audio or video recording. Don’t miss this episode to learn the details of how Tari communicates his expectations to his students, manages some of their anxiety when faced with a different kind of assessment task, and reflects on the difficulties of writing a good rubric.

Using authentic assessments and flexible grading schemes in a large science course

In her introductory computer science class, Dr. Giulia Alberini asks her approximately 600 students whether they want to be “code crafters” or “problem solvers.” The first group will write two midterms and a final coding project. Instead of the final project, “problem solvers” prepare a technical interview that simulates an authentic real-world experience. This choice allows students to work to their strengths, be it programming alone or interviewing with two members of the instructional team. Listen in to hear how Giulia gives her students opportunities to practice with low-stakes exercises, manages her team, and meets her goal of keeping students engaged and motivated in a large classroom setting.

Leveraging assessments to help students learn to recognize bias

Low or no-stakes assessment tasks give students the opportunity to focus their practice on what they aim to learn and allow them to try their hand at failing. When what they’re learning means recognizing implicit biases in themselves and others, it’s key that students have multiple opportunities to practice developing this skill. In this episode, Dr. Alissa Levine describes her multipronged approach to assessments that help students recognize bias and understand the impact it can have on their future professional practice as dentists.   
 

Flexible formative assessments: How to keep exam preparation focused on learning

Quizzes are a tried-and-true way to prepare students for higher-stakes exams, but do they allow you to assess the progress of students’ learning? To ensure her students’ learning is on track, which in this case means thinking critically about the immune system, Dr. Jasmin Chahal has her students design concept maps, draw cartoon diagrams, and write problem-solving exam questions. In this episode, we learn about the flexible and creative formative assessments Jasmin gives her students, which allow them both to show their learning in different ways and to prepare for their exams. Jasmin also shares insights into coordinating with TAs and clearly communicating expectations with her students in a large science course. We learned about this practice from a former student of Dr. Chahal’s who has continued to use some of these strategies throughout her undergraduate studies!  

A different take on two-stage exams: How collaboration can further assessment for learning

In this episode, we learn about a two-staged mid-term exam where students do a collaborative version of the exam before trying their hand at an individual exam. For Dr. Laura Pavelka, having students work collaboratively and ask questions in an introductory science course were key in helping students understand how science works, so she designed those elements into her assessment strategy. Easing exam-related student anxiety was another motivating factor. Tune in to hear Laura share her tips on managing in-class time, fostering student collaboration, and galvanizing technology to help run a two-stage mid-term for a class of 600 students.  

Welcome back! More conversations reshaping assessment for learning coming your way

Welcome back to Teach.Learn.Share’s exciting new miniseries! Join us over the next five episodes as we delve into creative, concrete, and transferable assessment strategies centered around assessment for learning. In each episode, we sit down with instructors from various Faculties at McGill University to explore a new strategy, discussing its design and implementation. Listen in as instructors share what works and where the challenges lie in assessments for large and small classes, as well as in individual, peer and authentic assessment strategies. Don’t miss out—subscribe now and be part of the conversation reshaping assessment for learning in higher ed! 

Integrating principles of well-being and assessment, with Professor Andrea Creech

Do the assessment choices instructors make support students’ learning and their well-being? To close our five-part miniseries, we wanted to hear an instructor’s perspective. In this episode, we’ve invited Dr. Andrea Creech, Professor of Music Pedagogy at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, to join the conversation. Andrea shares insights into how assessment forms an integral part of her pedagogy, which is shaped and guided by principles of well-being. These principles include self-efficacy, autonomy, purpose, and a sense of belonging in an academic community.
Learn more on our blog Teaching for Learning @ McGill 
 
References 
Boucher, M. (Host). (2021-present). Le musicien stratégique [Audio podcast]. Vontpi Production. https://musicienstrategique.com/le-balado/ 
 Lerman, L. (2022). Critique is creative. Wesleyan University Press.   
 

Striking the right balance on assessment and well-being, with grad students Sakina Rizvi and Connor Sin-Chan

Getting assessment right—being fair, consistent, equitable, and conscientious of students’ and instructors’ well-being—leads to healthier learning environments in university settings but is a difficult balance to strike. In this episode, we talk to two graduate students who share their experiences with the assessment and well-being connection in their contexts. We also discuss fairness and reliability in grading, student-instructor dialogues around assessment, and the positive impact small incremental changes in assessment practices can have on students’ well-being. 
 
Learn more on our blog Teaching for Learning @ McGill