We often rely on exams to assess students' understanding of a subject. However, exams aren't the only, or even the best, way to measure what students have learned. There is a strong case for alternative assessment methods. Assessments can prepare students for the real-world challenges they'll face after graduation. To do this, we need to move beyond traditional exam formats.
What's the problem with traditional exams?
The core issue with exams is that they often test recall rather than application. In the professional world success is rarely about reciting information. It's about applying knowledge to solve problems, make decisions, and create new solutions. This kind of practical knowledge is difficult to measure with a typical final exam.
When students enter their chosen professions, their knowledge tests will look very different. They'll need to diagnose a situation, present a proposal, or solve a complex problem. These tasks require a blend of critical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills. The skills needed to pass an exam (memorization, recall) aren't the same as the skills needed to thrive in a career.
The challenge for you, as the instructor, is to make student learning visible. You can do this by having clear, actionable learning outcomes for the course. You also need to make it clear to students how each assessment in your course relates to these outcomes. You can also help students see the relevance of an assessment by linking it to work they may do after they leave VIU.
Here are a few alternatives to an exam for assessing student learning.
You can assess understanding and communication skills through presentations, reports and blog posts. These activities mirror real world work that graduates may do. This can make assessments feel authentic and carry more intrinsic value for students.
You can increase the stakes by broadening the audience beyond their peers. Consider inviting community members with an interest in the topic including:
- professionals in the field
- a community group
- a local board
- hospital administrators
- a city council member
- a local First Nation leader
- policy-makers
A strong presentation, oral or in writing, requires students to have:
- a strong understanding of the topic
- the ability to select the appropriate tone and level for their audience
- research skills (finding appropriate information, identifying the needs of a particular audience)
- communication skills (written or oral)
- technology skills that support an effective presentation
- creating a slide deck
- formatting a report
- setting up a blog
- critical thinking skills to make good decisions or recommendations
You can assess research skills and understanding with an annotated anthology or bibliography. Have students start with works from your course. They can build around those resources with additional research. Each item in the anthology or bibliography then needs an introduction or commentary. This commentary to explain why the item is the best addition to the collection is where students can show their thinking.
Compiling relevant sources and explaining their choices requires students to:
- understand the theme of the annotated anthology or bibliography
- critically assess the value of different works and sources
- explain their thinking
A related assignment is developing an annotated edition of a work from the course. Such an assignment requires them to communicate the material to non-experts in a clear and relevant way.
You can assess students' mastery of course content with a portfolio. Curating their best work and writing an introduction or commentary for each piece requires students to:
- self assess their work
- reflect on their learning
- communicate clearly to you where they see their own strengths in the course
Creating material designed for the general public changed the stakes for students. One way to do this is by asking students to create a fact sheet intended to be posted in a public place. Topics can be anything:
- how to stay safe in a pandemic
- smoking cessation
- ecological and/or business impact of a city council’s proposal for a new stadium
- comparison of land-based and sea-based fish farming
- cost and benefits of bike lanes
To create a meaningful fact sheet, students need to:
- research a topic
- reach a conclusion
- summarize the mot important information in a clear and concise way
- present the information in a way that is visually appealing and accessible
A related assignment would be writing an evidence-based opinion column to the newspaper about the topic. Like a fact sheet, writing an opinion column requires students to present their findings in a clear, concise and accesisble format.
Case studies are an opportunity to assess students' ability to apply their understanding. In a case study, you present students with a scenario and ask them to reach a judgement or make a recommendation. This requires students to:
- Diagnose the situation:
- how did they get to the crisis point described in the case?
- why did they do what they did?
- Recommend a better approach:
- what might they have done differently?
- Predict what comes next and weigh implications
- what will happen if they don’t take your advice?
- what might be an unintended negative consequence if they do?
A related assignment is to give students a large set of data to interpret. This requires students to:
- Interpret the data:
- what does this data show?
- how do you know?
- Diagnose the key challenge or problem
- what might have happened to create this data?
- Evaluate the data:
- what are the limitations of the data?
- how would you find out more?
- Make a recommendation:
- given the data, what should happen next?
- What would you recommend to ensure the best outcome?
Book a consult
If you have questions about alternatives to exams or if you want a sounding board for an assessment you are designing, we would be happy to talk to you. Email learnsupport@viu.ca. Tell us what your question is, and one of the CIEL staff will contact you for a chat about your assignment.