I just finished facilitating a class for a group of students
in a graduate program with Central Michigan University. I had designed a final
assessment that required them to write, in a research style paper, what they
had discovered over the course of the class. It was a flexible assignment but
did require them to write with academic discipline and satisfy a rubric I would
use to evaluate their paper. Somewhere mid-week,
something happened to change that.
One student asked me if they could do something else to
demonstrate what they had learned, besides a paper. They reminded me that I had been teaching
them about being a self-directed learner and how the education system stifles
creativity, leaving many adults with little innovative energy. Being one who
encourages students to challenge me and question the way we always do things, I
thought, why not. Let the student take
the lead on their own final assessment.
The only stipulation I added was that they provide me with a rubric or
tool to help me be objective in evaluating how well they demonstrated learning.
Here is what they produced:
Two extensive crossword puzzles; a jeopardy game; a slide show that used
images to trigger the viewer to identify theories and concepts; a movie. Other student opted for the paper but I was
impressed with the novel ideas and they truly demonstrated each student’s learning.
Amazing things happen when you let the student lead.
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