LA DUKE, JOHN. Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202. - The use of learning summaries in systematic botany instruction: an alternative to exams.
The standard method of evaluation of students is some form of exam.
Exams are usually multiple choice, short answer, true/false, or essay.
A determinate amount of time is allotted for the test and grades are
derived from the scores. Faculty and students have never liked exams
for a variety of reasons. I have been using an alternative to exams
in the evaluation of students in systematic botany. I call these
evaluations learning summaries(LS). A learning summary is an essay
from the student describing their understanding of the material.
Following 5-6 lectures, the students are required to submit an essay
of no more than 5 pages describing the lecture material as they
understand it. Learning summaries are graded based primarily on
content. A learning summary is typically worth 40 points(100%) and no
more than 33 points(82.5%) can be earned without adding information
not presented in lecture. The extra seven points are to convince the
instructor that the student understands the material. This may be by
way of example, comparison with material derived from other classes,
observations in native habitats, or any data not mentioned by the
instructor in class. A LS serves two purposes: 1) students are forced
to do writing, and 2) students are forced to organize their notes and
hopefully learn the material and not just memorize for a test.
Implementation of the method, examples, and experiences with learning
summaries will be presented.
Key words: systematic botany, teaching