In this formative assessment, students select a recent news media item (print, electronic, multimedia, social media etc.) and conduct a short (500-700 word) critical reflection that draws on the foundational theoretical and disciplinary concepts from the course.

As a class students are set a collaborative task to produce a creative item relevant to their discipline (e.g. in MUSC3020, an original Album recorded and produced by students) and attend weekly laboratory sessions focused on relevant skill acquisition. This is scaffolded with written reflections where students outline their contribution.

Collectively worth 10%, this assessment replaces tutorial participation marks. It encourages collaborative reflexivity through weekly electronic group journals and peer assessment. In small groups students craft 200-300 word responses to experiential questions, uploading to Blackboard. Suited to introductory/elective courses, this technique focuses on applying foundational disciplinary knowledge to personal experience.

Students are set discipline-specific problem-based exercises for completion during class. The objective is to craft a written response (1500 words) to the problem, or use group collaboration to develop and deliver a 10-15 minute presentation proposing a solution. This assessment requires active problem solving and engagement with relevant web sources.

Students complete a 3 hour in-class simulation where a hypothetical scenario occurs (in POLS7255, a foreign policy negotiation). Students form groups representing key stakeholders and must accurately represent their interests. Students prepare for the simulation (scheduled towards the end of semester) in advance and are assessed on preparation and participation.

This five part assessment task (presented in a Blackboard learning module) is designed to build foundational research skills, provide meaningful engagement with library resources, and prepare students for a major assessment item.

SCIE1000 covers mathematics, computer programming, communication, science and modelling. The main goal is to help students see that similar tools and approaches can be applied in a wide range of discipline areas and contexts. So my goal was mostly to develop students’ abilities and confidence in transferring knowledge from one context to another context that may initially appear to be quite distinct, but in reality the same general approaches apply. This is important in this course because we teach students from all areas of science.