My view of an alternative assessment is a carefully designed active-learning exercise that motivates students in their approach to learning, helps them develop problem-solving skills, and allows them to assess their own understanding of the course content. I want creative learning spaces–whether that’s in lectures, labs or tutorials!
I design active-learning exercises that promote the application of knowledge and allow for problem solving and reflection, rather than merely providing facts as answers to specific questions. I often use an investigative approach during which students must work through the evidence and provide a solution. I use this strategy in lectures, labs and tutorials. In summary, students must demonstrate their ability to use the knowledge they’ve acquired about a topic through performance (video simulations; role play) in unique and innovative ways.
Below are examples of two alternative (authentic) assessments that I’ve used in an upper-level Developmental Biology course (Biol4490, TRU 2021) and in a lower-level nonmajors Biology course ( Biol1050 TRU 2022). The assessments are very different, but they both require that students think through why they made certain decisions to obtain their final product and can, thus, be considered authentic. Both assessments can be used in a remote or face-to-face setting.
The Goal: This assignment is authentic because students must use and assess their knowledge to simulate a basic concept in developmental biology. Each group follows what I call the HOPDOG method (template/rubric below). It is the mandatory format I ask students to follow when designing a YouTube video to demonstrate a basic concept in developmental biology. This video is meant to be FUN and ENGAGING while clearly demonstrating an understanding of a BASIC CONCEPT in Developmental Biology.
Topic choice: Student groups can choose any topic in Developmental Biology.
Learning gains: This exercise was designed to include the kinesthetic (you learn best by doing) and visual learners (you learn best through visual aids, such as diagrams, charts, demonstrations and videos) in this class. It will also increase students’ critical thinking skills and 21st century skills [teamwork (online; f2f), assessing teamwork (reflection), feedback/revise].
Video 1: Basic concept demonstration of primary sex determination (Biology 4490 TRU 2021)
Video 2: Basic concept demonstration video of cadherin and boundary formation (Biology 4490 TRU 2021)
Feedback is discussed in class using the HOPDOG group lesson plan template (modified from HOPPS plan ISW 2021). Lastly, the instructor will post the peer video feedback forms anonymously in a group feedback forum. This feedback is essential to everyone’s learning process, and students will be able to respond and ask questions. The instructor will monitor and respond to any discussions as well!
Student feedback 2021: Students found this exercise to be extremely rewarding despite the considerable effort in making their simulations and videos.
What do you think ‘decides’ if someone will be a male or female? How would you respond to this question?
I use a case study (based on SRY not SRY by the Biology Corner) as an engagement strategy to introduce students to the real-life aspects of crossing over during meiosis in both my majors and nonmajors biology courses.
The case study focuses on ‘gender’ verification in athletes to introduce students to the idea of changes in sex determination. The case study centers on Santhi Soundarajan who won a silver medal in the 800-meter race at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar. Following her silver medal performance, her sex was officially questioned with subsequent extremely severe consequences to her mental health.
Introductory flipped exercise: I have adapted the case study into an H5P introductory lesson that can be completed prior to any lecture or laboratory lesson on meiosis/genetic variation and/or sex determination/reproduction. This provides students with the opportunity to engage on their own time and make meaning out of the course content in an accessible way. This allows for more valuable class/lab time to discuss and work through the biological details of meiosis and its relation to the cellular and genetic bases of sex determination.
Adaptability: This introductory H5P exercise can also serve as a stand-alone exercise (synchronously and asynchronously) or can be used to precede any lecture/laboratory lesson on the Central Dogma, meiosis/genetic variation and reproduction/sex determination. It is also a perfect e-learning tool for a variety of open-learning distance education courses (Introductory Biology; Introductory Molecular and Cellular Biology; Developmental Biology; Introductory Genetics; Anatomy and Physiology).
Experimental perspectives in undergraduate biology courses
I incorporate guided experimental investigation of biological questions in my undergraduate lab and lecture courses. For example, I introduced an exercise published in CourseSource that allows cell biology students (BIOL 2130, TRU) to interpret results from five different data sets and multiple experimental methodologies (Cala et al., 2018). This exercise engages students and encourages critical thinking about how temperature triggers a family of receptors known as Transient Receptor Potential ion channels. However, it also emphasizes that each experimental methodology has its own limitations and reinforces the important aspect of repetition in experimental analysis.
Experimental exercise: I have developed a follow-up exercise to the introductory case study on sex determination in which students apply the procedures that would be used by real-life biologists in the lab to identify several mystery sex reversal scenarios using mice as the model organism. This allows students to apply problem-solving skills and guided inquiry to identify the molecular genetic bases of a few different scenarios involving sex reversals in mice. I have successfully delivered this exercise in both F2F and remote formats with excellent student feedback on engagement.
In my upper-level developmental biology course (BIOL 4490, TRU 2021), students completed the introductory exercise and then developed a workflow of how they would experimentally approach solving the molecular genetic nature of a sex reversal in their assigned mystery mice. A class discussion of the molecular/genetic aspects of primary and secondary sex determination provided valuable feedback/reinforcement of basic concepts prior to the data analysis component of the exercise. Students analyzed and recorded group data on Google jamboard templates from a series of five sequential experiments providing assessments and answering questions along the way. Therefore, students used their background knowledge and skills in more than one way. I provided meaningful assessment and feedback at strategic points during the analysis. I tracked student progress on each group jamboard template.
Follow-up sex reversal assignment. Students complete an assignment in which they analyse additional sex reversals in mice. The goal is to reinforce the problem-solving skills learned in lecture, and the instructor can decide whether to assign this as individual or group work. Students are provided with clear learning objectives and goals as well as a grading scheme in the assignment template as shown in the PDF below.