Reimagining Assessment: From High-Stakes Exams to Skill-Building Sketchnotes.

Area of Science:

• Science Education
• Pedagogical Innovation
• Educational Technology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online learning, exposing limitations of traditional exams in assessing scientific skills.
• Traditional assessments may disadvantage certain student populations, highlighting the need for equitable evaluation methods.
• There is a growing need for authentic assessment strategies that align with modern learning environments and skill development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate sketchnoting as an authentic alternative assessment in science education.
• To investigate the impact of sketchnoting on the development of critical thinking and communication skills.
• To assess student perceptions of sketchnoting compared to traditional exams in an online learning context.

Main Methods:

• Implemented sketchnoting as a visual note-taking and assessment tool in an online science course.
• Integrated scientific concepts, peer review, and graphical literacy into the sketchnoting process.
• Collected student feedback through surveys and qualitative assessments regarding learning experience and skill development.

Main Results:

• Student feedback indicated enhanced learning, skill development, and a preference for sketchnotes over traditional exams.
• Sketchnoting was found to cultivate essential scientific skills such as critical thinking and communication.
• The flexible nature of sketchnoting as an assessment correlated with reduced performance disparities among students.

Conclusions:

• Sketchnoting serves as a viable and effective authentic assessment in online science education.
• This visual note-taking method promotes equity, enhances skill development, and improves learning outcomes.
• Pedagogical collaboration is crucial for driving innovation in educational assessment strategies.