Creating Assessments with Individual and Collaborative Components
You can implement assessment as learning even if you teach larger classes with traditional exams as your main assessment method. Collaborative exams move beyond simple recall, transforming assessment into a process of articulation and reflection. Students must explain their reasoning, challenge each other's ideas, and collectively build understanding, all of which promote deeper disciplinary learning as well as self-assessment.
We all know the image: Stressed, fearful students trickle into a silent exam hall, all tired from cramming from the night before. But as Eric Mazur notes, stress is not conducive to deep and meaningful learning. In fact, the stress of exam culture often means that students only study for tests and then forget what they learned soon after. To flip this script, Mazur and his teaching team have instituted two stage exams. In the first stage, students work individually; but in the second stage, they share answers with each other, discussing and debating until they find the right answer. This not only forces students to deeply engage with the material, justifying themselves and learning from others; but it also decreases stress and celebrates learning.