Improving consistency in large laboratory courses: a design for a standardized practical exam

Area of Science:

• Life Sciences Education
• STEM Laboratory Courses
• Science Assessment

Background:

• Laboratory courses are vital for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.
• Assessing laboratory learning through practical exams presents challenges, especially in large, multi-section courses.
• Current practical exam formats in life sciences often lead to time constraints, increased cheating potential, and inconsistency among sections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges of conducting meaningful and standardized practical exams in large life sciences laboratory courses.
• To introduce a novel laboratory practical exam design.
• To align assessment questions with defined laboratory learning objectives and enhance consistency across all laboratory sections.

Main Methods:

• Described a new design for a laboratory practical exam.
• Focused on aligning assessment questions with well-defined laboratory learning objectives.
• Aimed to improve consistency among different laboratory sections.

Main Results:

• The proposed design facilitates standardized assessment in large laboratory courses.
• It addresses the issue of inconsistent exam administration across multiple sections and instructors.
• The approach mitigates the risk of cheating inherent in traditional station-to-station practical exams.

Conclusions:

• The described laboratory practical exam design offers a standardized and consistent method for assessing student learning.
• This approach enhances the validity and reliability of practical exams in life sciences.
• Implementation can lead to more equitable and effective laboratory course assessments.