Discussion-Based and Verbal Assessments

Discussion-based and verbal assessments provide dynamic, high engagement methods for evaluating student learning and communication skills. These approaches go beyond traditional testing to promote elaboration, justification, analysis alongside skills highly valued in professional environments, such as public speaking and collaborative reasoning. This section outlines four effective methods with clear structure for implementation in your classroom.

Discussion Board/Social Annotation

What is it? Online forums or platforms where students contribute to discussions or collaboratively annotate a text. The instructor can review each student's performance from the record of their online contributions. Perusall, for example is a free social annotation platform that seamlessly syncs with Canvas. This allows for students to collaborate and engage with one another through virtual discussions on course readings, videos, images, or other forms of media.

Why is it Effective? Social annotating, for example, creates interactive and engaging reading experiences. Discussions elicit elaboration, justification, and analysis from students, promoting higher-order thinking. Additionally, varied forms of social annotation provide a great alternative to the traditional Canvas discussion board.

How to Implement:

• Questioning Strategy: Plan open-ended questions that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge, while avoiding closed or "leading" questions. One example is to scaffold a rich discussion by prompting students to: "Analyze the three primary variables that contributed to the concept's outcome and justify which one was the most impactful.”

• Assessment: Focus on planning questions that are aligned with specific criteria relevant to your course to ensure students can meet the highest performance standards. Use a rubric that measures the quality of argumentation and interaction, not just the quantity of posts. Pro tip: Perusall can help you create rubrics and even complete initial grading for you!

• Employ a Portfolio or Selective Assessment Method: To acknowledge that contributions will vary and to encourage depth over breadth, assess discussions using a Discussion Post Portfolio. Ask students to select their best contributions (e.g., three posts/replies) for evaluation at key points in the semester. This approach is then graded against the clear discussion rubric.

Tools/Resources:

• Perusall is a free social annotation platform for educators and institutions that seamlessly integrates with the Canvas CMS.
• "Discussion in Canvas, Strategies, Things to Consider" (Penn State University)
• "Discussions - Strategies, Ask Good Questions, Cognitive, Social/Emotional, Physical factors" (Carnegie Mellon University)

Oral Presentations

What is it? Students verbally present their understanding of a topic to the class, individually or as a group. These presentations can vary in length, may be recorded, often feature visuals, and may sometimes be scripted. These can be used for both formative and summative assessment.

Why is it Effective? Presentation and speaking skills are valued by employers, and the assessment is experienced as authentic and relevant to real life. Interactive oral assessments with teacher questions can test the capacity to analyze and underlying understanding.

How to Implement:

• Utilize a Rubric for Clear Assessment: Provide students with a detailed rubric that clearly separates criteria for the content (e.g., informative and concise, contains practical examples, knowledgeable about the topic) from the presenter's delivery (e.g., clear and structured manner, maintained interest, enthusiasm, effective visual aids).

• Incorporate Q&A: Integrate a mandatory question and answer session where the student must respond to two instructor questions or two peer questions to test their capacity for impromptu analysis and critical thinking.

• Encourage Practice: Pair students to practice presentations out loud with visuals and a timer. Encourage practice in the mirror or in front of a roommate at home. For preparation, it is useful to anticipate possible audience questions and prepare answers, which can be part of the final assessment. Oral presentations may also be implemented as recorded video assessments to replace traditional exams.

Resources:

• MIT “Video Assessments Replace Exams”
• "8pg PDF - Presentations for assessment- a guide" (Macquarie University)
• "Presentation Evaluation Form" (Texas A&M University)

Group Discussions (Small-Group Discussion Exam)

What is it? A small group is given a topic to discuss. Often, students are assigned a role within the group (note-taker, etc.) to document their shared thinking. The students are then assessed individually on their discussion skills, critical thinking, and engagement.

Why is it Effective? Discussions are an excellent tool to provide students with the opportunity to provide oral evidence of their research and learning in a collaborative and conversational environment. Students learn how to navigate group thinking, politely disagree, and share their ideas with others.

How to Implement:

• Questioning: Use open-ended question types and statements to encourage extended student responses and promote higher-order thinking.

• Individual Grading: Grade each student's contribution individually using a rubric that measures: depth of analysis, support for arguments (citing course material), and constructive participation (responding to peers).

• Think-Pair-Share: Present a hypothetical ethical dilemma or a recent policy change related to the course and ask students first reflect on the question independently. Next, students work in groups to reach consensus on the ethical or most effective response, justifying their rationale with course theories and evidence. Finally, students come together as a large group to share their group’s findings.

Resources:

• Discussions - Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation (Carnegie Mellon University)

Photo/Image Discussion

What is it? Students embed an original image or a collage in response to a prompt. This method allows students to share key details and memorable notes by using images and words collectively to explain a topic.

Why is it Effective? Photo/image discussions are an effective assessment strategy because they provide a rich and authentic way for students to demonstrate their learning and engagement. It offers a path for demonstrating understanding that goes beyond traditional written options, accommodating different learning styles.

How to Implement:

• Prompting: The prompt could be an original photograph on a guiding theme (ex: "oppression" or "identity") or some other instruction for an uploaded image (picture of a drawing, found moments, etc.). This might look something like: "Capture a photograph of a real-world object or situation that embodies the core principle of [Course Theory/Concept]. In your accompanying text, correctly identify the principle and analyze how your image functions as an example."

• Require Justification: Students should embed their original image and then provide a detailed written or verbal explanation/reflection that explicitly connects the image to the course concepts, using specific terminology and analysis.