The traditional midterm exam has two significant advantages:
- The midterm allows for evaluating students’ independent engagement with course-related problems while providing maximum control over the resources they use, their interactions with other students, and preventing assistance from external sources.
- The exam is based on practice and past experience regarding the topics it covers and the skills students are expected to acquire by this stage of the course. Sometimes, the midterm is the first opportunity for students to independently tackle a comprehensive exam question, which may be broader than a classroom or homework exercise.
However, the midterm is not the only tool that encourages continuous learning, assesses students’ knowledge and abilities, and provides feedback on their learning progress. We propose a set of tools and recommendations as alternatives to the standard midterm exam, which will be canceled this semester (for security reasons). The proposed tools will provide meaningful feedback to the teaching team and students about the learning process and serve as the basis for the grade component originally allocated to the midterm exam. You can select from the proposed tools those most suitable for your course in the proportions you choose. Later in the document, we address the challenge and difficulty of ensuring students’ independent work and offer tools to strengthen their independence.
Please note: It is essential that the alternative tools do not create additional load on students or the teaching team beyond the time and resources that would have been required to prepare and conduct a standard midterm exam. It is recommended to coordinate the timing of assessment tasks across courses in faculty programs to avoid excessive workloads that might impact continuous learning in other courses.
Tools for Assessing Continuous Learning During the Semester
- Using the Midterm Exam as a Take-Home Test
This tool is effective for courses where the midterm serves as a good measure for assessing the expected learning outcomes. The test will provide self-assessment feedback for students and prepare them for what is expected in the final exam. At the same time, the test results will give the teaching team feedback about the students’ learning progress and highlight areas that may require additional reinforcement. - Alternative Homework Assignment Instead of the Midterm
In some courses, the midterm may not optimally evaluate students’ abilities in relation to the desired learning outcomes. While the midterm offers the advantage of controlled conditions and oversight of independent engagement, the cancellation of the midterm this semester provides an opportunity to explore alternative assessment methods based on homework assignments. - Splitting the Midterm Exam into Several Assessment Tasks Throughout the Semester
Instead of conducting a midterm, exam-style questions can be integrated into homework sheets and classroom assignments during lectures and practice classes . The advantage of this approach is the distribution of workload over the semester. - Integrating Assessment Tasks into Lectures or Exercises
Despite the challenge posed by shortening the semester to 12 weeks, it is possible to consider integrating active learning tasks into exercises or lectures. Students can receive feedback and a grade for these tasks as part of the continuous formative assessment of learning throughout the semester. For example, an exam-style question can be assigned to be solved individually or in groups and submitted for evaluation. Guidelines can be formulated for working on the task, monitoring the timeframe, the resources students use, their interactions, and preventing assistance from external sources.
Tools for Promoting and Assessing Students’ Independent Work
There are different levels of independent engagement with a task (quiz or assignment). The distinguished conditions of the traditional midterm exam create the most independent engagement. However, there are additional tools that promote independent student work, even if they do not provide the sterile conditions of a formal supervised exam.
- Oral Defense to Demonstrate Independence on a Test/Task
In many cases, deviations from the requirement for independent work can be identified with one or two relatively simple questions. These are questions that someone who worked independently on the Test/Task
would be expected to answer easily and quickly (within a few minutes), while someone who “copied” is likely unable to answer. In such cases, a follow-up oral quiz after submission can significantly enhance independent work. The results of the oral quiz can be included as a component of the grade or serve as a binary condition (pass/fail) for calculating the final grade of the assignment or take-home quiz.
There is experience with this tool at the Technion, and you can consult with the Center for the Promotion of Learning and Teaching for guidance on designing and implementing oral assessments or for referrals to instructors willing to share their experiences. Additional recommendations for oral assessment can be found [at this link]. - Short Quiz in Moodle as a Supplement to an Assignment/Take-Home Quiz
A short Moodle quiz with comprehension questions based on the assignment/quiz can indicate whether a student worked independently and understood what he did. The Moodle quiz can be scheduled close to the assignment/take-home quiz submission date and include questions graded automatically. This provides quick feedback to the teaching team about students’ learning progress and allows for informed course planning. For more information on Moodle assessment tasks, see [this link]. - Determining the Weight of the Task in the Final Course Grade
It is recommended to assign the middle/during the semester tasks some weight in the final course grade, to encourage students to complete them, thereby promoting continuous learning. However, the higher the task’s weight in the final grade, the greater the temptation for students to use unauthorized resources. Additional factors influencing this temptation include the task’s difficulty, the time it requires, and students’ fear of failing to complete it independently. Thoughtful planning of learning tasks while considering these factors can enhance students’ independent coping with them. - Signing a Statement of Independent Work
A statement that clarifies to students how and under what conditions they are expected to complete the assignment at home. Even if enforcing these conditions is not feasible, signing the statement encourages most students to adhere to them. Below is an example of such a statement :
“The report/project submitted here is the result of independent work and thinking carried out solely with my group members. We declare that – (check the appropriate box and fill in an explanation if necessary):
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- We did not consult/conversate with members of other groups or students who previously took the course.
- We did not use reports/projects from previous semesters (references). We did not use tools based on artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT.
- We utilized one or more of the resources mentioned above as follows (please specify): _______.”
- Providing Feedback on the Process Rather than the Final Result
For example, students may solve an exercise sheet or a take-home test, where it is inevitable that they refer to references, peers, or external resources. Feedback can focus on a self-reflection section, asking students to explain and justify their approach and the scientific/engineering/mathematical considerations underlying the problem. Such reflection significantly promotes learning. Self-reflection can also be combined with oral defense. - Feedback on an Original and Creative Component Produced by Students
For example, an additional original section for a given problem, writing a piece of code to implement an additional condition in a programming task, or representing a given problem in a different way (e.g., representing a mathematical problem graphically). Grading should emphasize creativity and originality . - Integrating Questions from Assessment Tasks into the Formal Exam
Including questions that students solved during the semester in the final exam will encourage students to work independently during the semester and will reflect on understanding.
