Proposal Title
Authentic assessment design in human physiology using the students-as-partners model
Session Type
Poster
Room
Thames Hall Atrium
Start Date
13-7-2023 4:30 PM
End Date
13-7-2023 6:00 PM
Keywords
authentic assessment, students as partners, creativity, higher education, human physiology
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
‘Authentic assessments’ are described as educational assessments that prioritize realism and essential skill development. In higher education, authentic assessments are increasingly implemented to improve practical connections, namely in BSc. courses that were previously test-oriented. At the University of Guelph, Human Physiology was identified as a BSc. course that could benefit from the implementation of new authentic assessments. To effectively address student concerns during assessment creation, BSc. faculty chose to use the ‘students-as-partners’ model, which involves direct collaboration with students. Thus, we aimed to introduce authentic assessments in Human Physiology to improve real-world connections through a project titled, ‘Students-as-Partners in Assessment Design’.
In 2022, 4 student discipline-leads and faculty pairs were chosen for key BSc. courses, including Human Physiology, to collaboratively co-create new assessments with the support of an education developer. The initial goals of the project included strengthening practical skills whilst accounting for growing class sizes. For our course, we created a new group assignment titled, ‘Physiology Connections’ in which students presented a mini-lesson on a real-world physiology topic of their choice. The assignment was tested by 6 students prior to its implementation in the W’23 semester. To quantify the success of the new assignment, a class-wide survey was introduced to gather feedback. Results of the survey and details regarding the group assignment will be shared in the poster. Through this work in educational research, we aim to inspire additional institutions to value the benefits of the students-as-partners model, and strive to continue improving the quality of education through authentic assessment implementation.
Elements of Engagement
Throughout the presentation, we will have an open discussion board with both in-person (post-it note board) and online options (Padlet link provided) to reflect on the importance of Authentic Assessment design to you. As well, to provide examples of our created group assignment, we will provide a QR Code link to sample presentations. Make sure to bring your own device (smartphone, laptop, tablet) to view examples and participate in the online discussion!
Authentic assessment design in human physiology using the students-as-partners model
Thames Hall Atrium
‘Authentic assessments’ are described as educational assessments that prioritize realism and essential skill development. In higher education, authentic assessments are increasingly implemented to improve practical connections, namely in BSc. courses that were previously test-oriented. At the University of Guelph, Human Physiology was identified as a BSc. course that could benefit from the implementation of new authentic assessments. To effectively address student concerns during assessment creation, BSc. faculty chose to use the ‘students-as-partners’ model, which involves direct collaboration with students. Thus, we aimed to introduce authentic assessments in Human Physiology to improve real-world connections through a project titled, ‘Students-as-Partners in Assessment Design’.
In 2022, 4 student discipline-leads and faculty pairs were chosen for key BSc. courses, including Human Physiology, to collaboratively co-create new assessments with the support of an education developer. The initial goals of the project included strengthening practical skills whilst accounting for growing class sizes. For our course, we created a new group assignment titled, ‘Physiology Connections’ in which students presented a mini-lesson on a real-world physiology topic of their choice. The assignment was tested by 6 students prior to its implementation in the W’23 semester. To quantify the success of the new assignment, a class-wide survey was introduced to gather feedback. Results of the survey and details regarding the group assignment will be shared in the poster. Through this work in educational research, we aim to inspire additional institutions to value the benefits of the students-as-partners model, and strive to continue improving the quality of education through authentic assessment implementation.