Abstract:

In March 2020, when we faced our initial 3-week lockdown and subsequent shift to remote instruction in the USA, it became clear that our undergraduate students were facing high levels of stress. It quickly became apparent that the assessments that I had used in the first half of the Spring term might prove overwhelming in this new reality, particularly for the beginning students taking my survey classes. Since surveys are introductory level classes that cover hundreds of works of art and multiple cultures, they are quite challenging, and cover many concepts and analytical approaches that are new to the students.

Prior to and during Spring 2020, I used short online quizzes with no time limitations (12 per term), a short creative paper and 2 timed essay exams to assess learning outcomes in each of my online Art History survey classes. I finished the Spring 2020 term with the same assessments, but added extra bonus opportunities in order to give the students a greater sense of control. Discussions with selected students revealed that some professors at Penn State were overcompensating for the loss of classroom time with extra assignments, many of which the students found meaningless. I resolved to make changes beginning Summer 2020 that would increase flexibility and decrease student stress while still accurately assessing learning outcomes. I began by streamlining my reading assignments for each lesson, narrowing down the required readings to just the most critical and making the other readings optional. I kept the quizzes, because they are an important way to keep the students on track with our weekly schedule. I eliminated the creative paper assignment and replaced it with several discussion boards that prompted the students to creatively respond to course themes. More importantly, I completely changed the midterm and final exams, shifting from a traditional timed essay exam consisting of three slide comparisons to a “take-home” format exam in which students would design a virtual exhibition. By eliminating the timed exam, I took away the stressor of a ticking clock and replaced it with a 2-week time window in which students could create a virtual exhibition based on a course theme of their choosing.

My modifications were a success, with overwhelmingly positive student response. Discussion boards fostered a sense of community during isolation, and the virtual exhibitions were thought-provoking and compelling. One of the greatest benefits was personal: I found that grading was much more interesting and enjoyable, because the discussion boards and virtual exhibitions gave me a much better sense of my students as individuals. Despite this initial success, my adjustments continued. As the pandemic dragged on, I made additional changes in response to the growing student mental health crisis.

In this paper, I will describe my original assessments, my initial modifications, and the current situation. For each case, I will link assessments to learning objectives, and explain the benefits and challenges of each approach. I hope to foster a discussion about new and creative ways to fulfill course learning objectives while safeguarding student mental health.

Keywords:

Art history, assessments, covid-19, mental health, virtual exhibition, discussion board.