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Authentic assessments aim to replicate the tasks and performance standards typically faced by professionals in the workplace, and therefore, are commonly used to encourage deep-learning and bridge the gap between course material and real-world problems. Authentic assessments are identified by their alignment with three core dimensions: realism, cognitive challenge and evaluative judgement. Realism involves linking course or discipline specific knowledge with everyday life beyond the classroom. Cognitive challenge involves the skills required to use knowledge and process information in order to complete the assessment (e.g., higher order thinking and problem solving). Evaluative judgment is the ability for students evaluate their own performance and regulate their own learning by evaluating the quality of their work using clearly expressed criteria and receiving feedback. Thus, developing assessments that incorporate these three authenticity dimensions is a tangible way for instructors to connect course material to real-world problems, which can impact students’ engagement and utilization of a deeper learning approach. Low authenticity scores in a fourth-year, large-sized (>200 students) nutrition and disease pathophysiology course prompted an assessment redesign using a Students as Partners approach, wherein five student representatives who previously took the course worked collaboratively with the course instructor as equal partners with diverse perspectives to increase the assessment authenticity dimensions. The resulting scaffolded assessment required students to utilize scientific literacy and critical thinking skills to i) summarize and integrate primary research findings from multiple studies into a data extraction table, ii) develop different types of communication outputs intended for diverse audiences (scientific and non-scientific), and iii) conduct a self-evaluation and reflection. Student partners created exemplars and contributed to assessment instructions and rubric development, which are two critical aspects of evaluative judgement. The assessment was implemented in the winter 2023 academic semester and after completing the Students as Partners co-developed authentic assessment, students in the course (n=220) participated in an optional survey that assessed the student experience (including stress and anxiety), learning approach and perceived relevance of the assessment to the workplace. Preliminary data from this course context will be shared, as well as flexible authentic assessment resources (assessment instructions, rubrics and student exemplars) that can be accessed via a QR code. Participants are encouraged to bring their smartphone, laptop or tablet to access these online authentic assessment resources, which could be adapted to other disciplines and utilized in senior courses with large class sizes. This research was approved by our institutional research ethics board (REB#20-10-026).

Authentic assessments are commonly promoted to assess higher-order thinking, encourage deep learning, and strengthen ties between classroom content and real-world problems. However, while many institutions highlight a commitment to authentic assessment in strategic documents, a clear definition of what constitutes authenticity and objective measures of the patterns and prevalence of these assessments is lacking. In a multi-year project, we compiled an inventory of all assessments across a complete BSc curriculum at a large Canadian comprehensive university and documented their authenticity to better understand student assessment experiences and facilitate discussion between instructors. Based on Villarroel's (2018) core dimensions of authenticity: realism, cognitive challenge, and evaluative judgement, we developed a rubric-style tool to score individual assessments as low, moderate, or high on each dimension. The tool has been applied to over 1000 assessments from face-to-face and remote settings, uncovering patterns in authenticity by class size, year level and assessment type. The prevalence of authentic assessment in our BSc program was low (

The Canadian higher education system is currently structured such that class sizes are large4 with limited resources, which have imposed constraints on teaching and assessment methods3. Traditional lecture delivery and multiple choice exams are common in large classes, despite evidence to suggest that these methods display a negative relationship with students’ development of higher order thinking skills (HOTS), such as problem solving, critical and creative thinking4. Furthermore, such traditional teaching and assessment methods typically reward memorization and recall, consistent with a surface approach to learning5, rather than encouraging students to deeply process the learning material. Cognizant of the constraints imposed on teaching and assessment methods by large class sizes, an upper year physiology course has recently been redeveloped. Briefly, this course now takes place over two 12-week semesters, where students are taught with instructional scaffolded lecture methods. Assessments consist of short and long answer midterms/final exam, and a large scale (~400 students) weekly tutorial where students work in groups on problem solving assignments. In this presentation, we will share how we evaluated students’ approaches to learning within a large, upper year physiology class, using the Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire1, coupled with students’ academic performance on lower order and higher order assessment questions, according to Bloom’s Taxonomy2. Interesting data points from this study will be shared. By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to: 1. Identify teaching and assessment methods to promote HOTS and a deep approach to learning; 2. Implement a tool in their classes to evaluate students’ approaches to learning. References 1 Biggs, J.B., Kember, D., & Leung, D.Y.P. (2001). The Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire: R-SPQ-2F. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 133-149.2 Bloom, B. S., Krathwohl, D. R., and Masia, B. B. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, New York, NY: D. McKay. 3 Kerr, A. (2011). Teaching and Learning in large Classes at Ontario Universities: An Exploratory Study. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.4Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. (2014). Data check: Class sizes continue to grow at Ontario's universities. Retreived from http://ocufa.on.ca/blog-posts/data-check-class-sizes-continue-to-grow-at-ontarios-universities/5Trigwell, K., & Prosser, M. (1991). Relating approaches to study and the quality of learning outcomes at the course level. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 61(3), 265-275.

Residence learning communities (RLCs) refer to intentional groupings of students living together in residence with shared academic and/or non-academic interests. The present research study sought to determine if living in a RLC improved student academic performance compared to other living scenarios at the University of Guelph, specifically for students in the College of Biological Science (CBS). A complete cohort of students was followed from admission through the following five years. Results demonstrated that RLCs improved student academic performance at Guelph for all students, and specifically for CBS students.

Community engaged learning (CEL) has been identified as a high impact educational practice that can have profound influence on learning and improve student engagement (Kuh, 2008). Despite the potential to provide a meaningful learning experience, CEL opportunities are not widespread at large research institutions, and most examples arise from optional co-curricular activities or small classes (Holander, 2011). Current realities of increasing class sizes and decreasing resources can make implementing CEL challenging. Creative thinking is required to modify the critical elements of successful CEL to suit broader educational needs. This paper provides a tangible model for CEL assignments that can be adapted to suit medium to large classes, with an honest discussion of the lessons learned in the process from student, faculty and community perspectives. Based on key concepts of reciprocity, shared decision-making and mutual benefit we designed a novel CEL assignment in a large 4th year course (>100 students). Briefly, student teams researched one of five priority areas identified by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) to write an evidence-based literature review. Based on these findings, students worked with WDGPH experts to translate their research into practical recommendations and tools to advance WDGPH programming. An end-of-semester showcase was used to highlight these applied projects. Students identified real world relevance and the opportunity to be creative as the main advantages of the assignment. Surprisingly, community partners identified the opportunity for leadership and mentorship as an unintended but welcomed benefit to the program. From a faculty perspective, the time required to coordinate and grade the projects during the teaching semester was manageable although the quality of student projects varied significantly. Future offerings should consider strategies to provide more tailored feedback to all students and to encourage a balance of effort between the research and applied aspects of the CEL project.

Residence learning communities (RLCs) refer to intentional groupings of students living together in residence with shared academic and non-academic interests1. Given that collaborative learning environments foster a higher motivation to learn, interpersonal development and active learning, RLCs may offer a unique opportunity to enhance student academic success2,3. This may be particularly important in science education. Despite the growing number of RLCs in Canada, the data describing their impact in the Canadian context are lacking. Additionally, optimal programming design and practice of RLCs are not well described. The purpose of this research study is to determine if living in an RLC improves student academic performance compared to living in traditional residence or off-campus. Specific attention will be given to the Biological Sciences Cluster as anecdotal evidence suggests that these are the most successful. In order to objectively address this question, a complete cohort of students at the University of Guelph will be followed from their final year in high school and the succeeding 4-5 years of their undergraduate studies. Academic performance will be determined based on high school average, 1st year average by course, 2nd year registration (retention), and year of graduation. This poster will compare and contrast the common types of RLCs available to students and provide preliminary data on their impact on student academic success. Results of this study can inform other Canadian institutions considering implementing or expanding RLC, and may be used to improve the complete undergraduate educational experience. References [1] Goodsell Love, A. (2012). The growth and current state of learning communities in higher education. New Directions for teaching and learning, 132, 5-18. [2] Jongsma, K.S. (1990). Collaborative Learning, Questions & Answers. The Reading Teacher, 43, 346-347. [3] Totten, S., Sills, T., Digby, A., & Russ, P. (1991). Cooperative learning: A guide to research. New York: Garland.[3] Totten, S., Sills, T., Digby, A., & Russ, P. (1991). Cooperative learning: A guide to research. New York: Garland.

Community engaged learning (CEL) has been identified as a high impact educational practice that can have profound influence on student learning1. Students who participate in CEL have been shown to retain, integrate and transfer information at higher rates and report higher levels of satisfaction and engagement1. Despite the potential to provide a meaningful learning experience, CEL opportunities are not widespread at research institutions, and most examples arise from small classes in social sciences2. Current realities of increasing class sizes coupled with decreasing resources make implementing CEL challenging. However, institutional accountability to deliver key learning outcomes, plus student demand for relevant curriculum across disciplines makes the challenge worthwhile. Creative thinking is required to modify the critical elements of successful CEL to suit broader educational needs. Based on key concepts of reciprocity, shared decision-making and mutual benefit we designed a novel CEL assignment in a 4th year kinesiology class (>100 students). Briefly, student teams researched one of five priority areas identified by Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health (WDGPH), to write an evidence-based literature review. Based on these findings, students worked with WDGPH (ratio ~ 1:20) to translate their research into practical recommendations and useful tools to advance WDGPH programming. Knowledge translation projects were highlighted during an end of semester open showcase. This presentation will provide a tangible model that can be modified to suit various teaching environments. Successes and challenges will be shared from faculty and community perspectives and top student projects will be available for participants to experience. 1) Kuh, G.D. (2008) High-Impact Educational Practices: What They Are, Who Has Access To Them, and Why They Matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities. 2) Hollander, EL (2011) Civic education in research universities: leaders or followers? Education + Trainaing 53:(2/3):166-176

We have recently designed and implemented a unique, large (1800 students/year) first year biological concepts of health course (BIOL*1080) aimed at promoting higher order thinking skills and attributes. Our course served as one of three courses that replaced two more traditional biology courses (BIOL*1030 and BIOL*1040) and incorporates seminar, lab and interdisciplinary assignments in an attempt to foster skills in areas such as oral and written communication, critical thinking, and independent learning. To determine if we were successful in designing a course centered on the teaching and assessment of higher order thinking skills, we ranked the course evaluative materials based on Bloom’s taxonomy (Zheng, A.Y., Science 319:414,2008). Bloom’s taxonomy is a hierarchical categorization of knowledge and thinking skills comprised of 6 levels (from lowest to highest): knowledge - 1, comprehension – 2, application – 3, analysis – 4, synthesis – 5, and evaluation – 6. Briefly, each exam question and assignment was scored by a team of 6 individuals with varying degrees of familiarity with the course. Scores per test/assignment were averaged and a weighted average was calculated for the entire course, with a higher weighted average representing assessment of a higher order of thinking. The average bloom level for our course was 3.28±0.15 which was significantly higher than one of the more traditional biology courses (BIOL*1030 – 1.93±0.08 ) but not the second course (BIOL*1040 – 2.95±0.17). The blooming exercise provided a useful metric to assess the level of higher order thinking required for newly developed courses and allowed for comparisons between courses to be objective.

Many senior level science courses employ short and long answer testing style whereby students can have their test re-graded if they feel they were inaccurately assessed. The integrity of this type of system has been questioned over reports that students may alter their test before handing it back in for re-grading. We designed a study to objectively quantify the prevalence of this type of academic misconduct. Eleven third and fourth year science courses (class sizes: 63-468 students) that used a written testing style and allowed these tests to be re-graded were chosen for the study. All course midterm tests were graded and scanned before they were returned to the students, and then re-scanned if they were submitted for re-grading. The tests were then compared to determine if the answers had been altered. Ethical approval for this study was obtained to allow the study to be performed without informed consent to ensure the validity of the results. Further analysis will determine if there is a correlation between those that cheat and their test grade, their major, and their sex as well as observing how they are cheating. A comprehensive analysis of the all courses will help elucidate the context that incites students to commit academic misconduct. Understanding the prevalence of this cheating strategy, how students supplement their tests and the circumstances that provoke students to cheat will help us determine the integrity of this testing style, and inform us on how to deter this activity in the future.

Increasing class sizes and resource constraints in higher education may lead to reliance on traditional teaching and assessment methods, despite research that demonstrates their association with a surface approach to learning and lower-order thinking skills. A well-regarded approach to support student learning is authentic assessment (AA). However, limited studies have explored how authentic assessments may exist in the context of large, classroom-based curricula. Notably, it is proposed that assessment design is prompted by a common impetus for change. This thesis implemented a case-study approach to evaluating student learning in a large classroom, and then considered the complete curriculum to document the prevalence of authentic assessments, and further how assessments shifted in response to a common impetus for change (i.e. COVID-19). Student learning was investigated in a large, lecture-based physiology course that models modest adaptations to traditional teaching (i.e. instructional scaffolding) and assessment (i.e. constructed response testing) methods. Findings revealed that this classroom context can support a deep approach to learning. While lower-order thinking skill performance declined, higher-order thinking skills improved. As assessment drives student learning, of particular interest in this course is the unique assessment method used. This research moved to consider assessments in complete curriculum (i.e. beyond one course). We documented all assessment opportunities within a complete health sciences curriculum. We developed the AA Tool (AAT), based on core dimensions of authenticity (realism, cognitive challenge, evaluative judgement – criteria, feedback) across a scale of low to moderate to high. In the face-to-face (F2F) setting, we applied the AAT to 457 assessments (n=62 courses). Few opportunities for highly authentic assessments existed. Following the shift to emergency-remote teaching setting (ERT), we applied the AAT to 517 assessments (n=61 courses). In the shift from F2F to ERT, courses made changes to assessments (number, type, authenticity). In both settings, feedback scored the weakest, though most improvements were made in this regard during ERT. Overall, these studies present a comprehensive overview of the authentic assessment opportunities students are exposed to in F2F and ERT settings, with practical suggestions for educators to consider. CBS Graduate Excellence Entrance Scholarship; SSHRC

Work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences in the curriculum have been shown to improve undergraduate student development. However, there are limited opportunities in typical forms of WIL for all students to participate prior to graduation. This thesis investigates whether an on-campus volunteer program can be converted into a co-curricular experiential learning (EL) opportunity. Learning outcomes (LO) were developed to formalize the objectives of the program, and EL elements were added to complete Kolb’s EL cycle. Volunteer participation was tracked and LO achievement was assessed by self and practitioner feedback. Volunteer development was determined by self-reports to validated surveys and responses were considered in comparison to academically similar, non-volunteer students. Volunteers successfully met most of the program LOs. While all students reported improvements in professional skills, volunteers reported larger improvements in communication and presentation skills than non-volunteers. An on-campus volunteer program can be converted into a co-curricular EL opportunity that facilitates volunteer development.

This thesis is an investigation of the relationship between residence learning communities (RLCs) and first year grades, 2nd year retention and 5-year graduation rates in a Canadian university. RLCs have been shown to be positively associated with student academic outcomes in the U.S, however the data to support RLCs in Canada is virtually non-existent. A longitudinal observational study was conducted to analyse the academic outcomes of 4805 students who lived in RLCs (18%) and non-RLCs (82%). Results indicated that RLC students, on average, achieved higher first year grade point averages (GPAs) relative to non-RLC students. No significant differences between RLC and non-RLC students were found for the measures of retention and graduation. Analyses were repeated specifically on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students. STEM students living in an RLC achieved higher GPAs relative to a comparison group not living in an RLC.