Final examinations and assessments can be a stressful time for students. Here are some ways you can demonstrate compassion and care to your students during exam season.
Reflect on your intentions for the exam
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- What form do exams tend to take in this course/discipline?
- What have your students found least and most helpful? How can you make your exams more helpful to student learning?
- Reflect on L. Dee Fink’s feedback and assessment procedures to ensure students can meaningfully demonstrate the skills and knowledge they developed in the course in “Self-directed guide to designing courses for significant learning” (2005, p. 13-15).
Strategies to minimize student exam stress
Before the exam
- Conduct a short survey to understand better students’ test anxiety: Test examination anxiety measurement (TEAM)
- Design learning activities and assignments that will prepare students for their assessments. The learning outcomes that will be tested in the final assessment should be familiar to students.
- Provide students with a practice exam, so they are familiar with the format and layout of the exam.
- Encourage students to self-enroll in the Art ISIT: Exam practice run so they can familiarize themselves with the exam technologies and resolve potential issues.
During the exam
- Consider including a short and encouraging statement on the front of your exam.
- Provide students with one minute before the start of the exam to read through the entire assessment. Encourage students to focus on questions they are comfortable with, to enhance self-efficacy. During this time, they should not write anything down.
- Consider adding an interactive cover sheet (ICS) to your assessment to foster dialogue between instructors and students.
Resources for students
- Share resources and tips for students to manage their own exam anxiety. Resources such as UBC Wiki exam strategy guide can empower students to adopt positive study habits that will reduce their stress levels.
- Encourage students to take advantage of the health and wellness resources available to all UBC students through the student health resource page.
