HomeBlogPodcasts Refresh: Demonstrating Knowledge Using Oral Assessmentsby Matt WittsteinJuly 17, 2023 Share: Section NavigationSkip section navigationIn this sectionPodcasts – Home 60-Second SoTL Limed: Teaching with a Twist Making College “Worth It” Land Acknowledgement Limed: Teaching with a Twist – Episode 11 In this episode of Limed: Teaching with a Twist, Matt Wittstein follows up with Mark Burnham from Season 1, Episode 8, “Demonstrating Knowledge Using Oral Assessments.” Matt and Mark discuss Mark’s experience with implementing oral exams in his Biology coursework, the feedback and reactions he gauged from his students, and his future plans with oral assessments and other non-traditional methods of assessment in the classroom. View a transcript of this episode. This episode was hosted by Matt Wittstein, edited by Jeremiah Timberlake, and produced by Matt Wittstein in collaboration with the Center for Engaged Learning. About the Guest Mark Burnham is an assistant professor of biology and environmental science at Emory & Henry College in Emory, VA. He is an ecologist and does most of his teaching in introductory level biology and environmental studies as well as ecology and botany. Outside of teaching, Mark is involved with the E&H garden, greenhouse, and herbarium. He researches nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical cycling in natural and managed ecosystems, and his new research program at E&H includes studying the ecology and sustainability of small gardens in Southwest Virginia. Although he’s not really an entomologist, he is currently building and curating an insect collection on campus. You can learn more about Mark on his website and also find his live bird feeder stream online: Appalachian Bird Cam on YouTube! Listen to the Original Episode Demonstrating Knowledge Using Oral Assessments Limed: Teaching with a Twist – Episode 8 Mark Burnham wants to help his students get more practice and feel psychologically more prepared for their oral graduation examinations in Emerson and Henry College’s biology program. He is already planning to… Resources Related to this Episode Elon University Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. “Assessing Student Learning.” “Guidelines for Oral Assessments and Exams.” Office of Teaching and Learning. University of Guelph. Accessed April 10, 2023. https://otl.uoguelph.ca/guidelines-oral-assessments-and-exams. Moon, Jennifer A. A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice. Routledge, 2013. Pipe, Laura May, and Jennifer T. Stephens. 2021. “Toward a Liberated Learning Spirit: A Model for Developing Critical Consciousness.” Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 21 (2): 121-139. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v21i2.29148 [Open Access] Additional Resources from the Center’s Blog and Podcasts Meaningful Undergraduate Experiences and How They Matter Now The Center for Engaged Learning periodically conducts surveys on students’ experiences in higher education and their application to students’ post-graduation lives. Our latest iteration surveyed 956 U.S. residents who were 18-34 years old and graduates of two- or four-year higher… Student-Reported Benefits and Tensions about Generative AI in Academics: Part 2 In part one of this two-part blog post, I shared some findings from a focus group interview conducted at the end of last semester. In the first part of the focus group interview, students provided their reactions to the Artificial… Student-Reported Benefits and Tensions about Generative AI in Academics: Part 1 My ongoing exploration of how generative AI might be used in assessment practices has revealed some benefits to teaching and learning, some drawbacks, and some tensions. Sharing this exploration through these blog posts and having numerous discussions about higher education… Utilizing a Framework for Artificial Intelligence-Supported Assessments: Part 2 In December I introduced a framework to support faculty with the complexities of incorporating generative AI into their assessments. One feature of this framework encourages the consideration of separating assessment components into AI-active and AI-inactive sections to better articulate expectations… Keep It Simple: Strategies for Adopting Alternative Grading Practices to Enhance Student Learning Clark, David and Robert Talbert. 2023. Grading for Growth: A Guide to Alternative Grading Practices That Promote Authentic Learning and Student Engagement in Higher Education. New York: Routledge. Grades and grading have long plagued students and instructors alike. Faculty frequently…
