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Alternative Assessments
Alternative Assessments
examinations. What follows are some examples of alternative assessments that you might
consider.
1. Open book exams. Because students can use books and notes, open book exams
encourage students to learn to apply knowledge rather than memorize material. They are
usually somewhat less anxiety-provoking than regular tests.
2. Crib Sheets. Allowing students to bring some notes provides the same advantages as an
open book exam. The process of deciding what to include in the notes, putting concepts in your
own words, etc., is also a good learning experience for the students. The instructor can provide
appropriate parameters and guidance.
3. Take home exams. Take home exams allow instructors to give students problems which
will take longer than a class period to manage and/or require the students to use a variety of
references. However, they limit student studying to only the material related to the questions
asked and instructors do not know if students received help in answering the questions.
4. Collaborative testing. Some instructors have students take multiple choice tests in pairs
or small groups. This approach which allows students to discuss the materials and ‘teach each
other’ usually increases the students’ grasp of the material. There are several alternative ways
to use collaborative testing. Some instructors allow students to discuss the test with their
group, but ask each student to turn in his/her own answer sheet; group members do not need
to agree on answers. Others require the group to come to an agreement on answers; each
group hands in one answer sheet and each group member receives the same grade. A third
option is a combination of the two: Class members first take the test individually and hand in
their answers to receive an individual grade. Then they take the same test (or portion of the
test) as a group and individuals are assigned bonus points based on the group’s performance
(e.g., for group tests of 95% or better, individuals receive 3 bonus points, 89-94% receive 2
points, etc.). If tests are to be taken collaboratively, test items should be written at the higher
levels of the taxonomy.
9. Replacing tests with summaries. Some instructors, rather than testing, require students
to regularly write summaries of the class readings and lectures which include the main points, a
critical reaction to the ideas, and a discussion of what’s most important. This requires a great
deal of reading on the part of the instructor, but students report that they prefer the
summaries over tests. They feel it is less stressful than taking a test and that they learn more
and retain it longer.