One of my elective law courses, Asian Legal Systems, presented a challenge. As well as enabling students understand how law and legal institutions in Asia operate in different and distinctive ways, the design of this comparative law course was to facilitate discussion and the sharing of perspectives thus maximising student input. Keeping these dynamics alive in Zoom classes led to several modifications in assessment.

In VETS3070, we use multiple Objective Structured Practical Examinations (OSPEs) to evaluate student procedural skills. The first OSPE assesses clinical examination skills and the second OSPE examines surgical and anesthesia skills. In both examinations, complex procedures which are considered impossible to assess without significant subjectivity were dissected into discrete components that could be objectively assessed.

In this summative e-delivered assessment students develop a case formulation in which they synthesise key aspects of a written vignette to provide a cohesive narrative of the reasons for the clinical presentation and vulnerability and strengths of the individual described in the vignette, adhering to strict character limits.

In this role-play students learn to position themselves in the roles of different stakeholders, develop strategies for negotiation and decision-making and need to be able to identify interests, goals and power hold by each stakeholder.

In place of a practical exam groups of 4 students record 4 x 7 min video tasks (each student takes the lead role in one task but shares responsibility across all tasks). Filming the video is less stressful than a prac exam, encourages repeated practice and peer assisted learning. Moderation with fewer examiners achieves more consistent marking/feedback.

Flip is an online video-based social learning platform, that allows students to see each other online, learn from one another through vlogging, and connect to each other on a socio-emotional level, in their own time (asynchronously). Students can provide video responses to other students or teacher and can provide private or open feedback to all students.

Small group and whole class discussions, mind mapping, individual reflection and readings culminate in a collaborative 300-word synthesis (pitch)

ENGG1600 is a course which embeds research into the undergraduate degree in first year. Assessment is authentic - no exam - instead students work towards a final conference at which they present and for which they have had to write a conference paper (using Nature guidelines).

Designed as a sequential case-based online and in-class approach, students are able to scaffold their clinical skills and reasoning through developing and implementing case based assessment and management strategies of simple and complex patients. Students are assigned 6 patient cases within Week 8 of the semester of which will be similar to the cases that students are assigned in their end of semester practical examination. Students can work independently or as groups, contributing to Padlet discussions relating to each patient case. Within tutorials, designed sequentially from Week 9 to 12 (2 cases per tutorial), students work together to plan and present their clinical assessment and management of each case, with facilitation and probing from tutorial staff. Within class discussion is facilitated to explore student views and clinical reasoning whilst reflecting on best evidence based practice (Hour 1). Clinical skills practice is then facilitated where students select skills to practice in relation to the outlined case (Hour 2).

This end-of-semester examination involves providing students with a court ruling on a medical case that most will not have come across until that point. Students are expected to read the case under exam conditions, and bring their learning over the course of the semester to bear on their interpretation of the salient medical and legal points raised, determining their ethical implications. This is then tested over a number of multiple choice questions delivered via Examsoft.