2.5 Open Mic Sessions

2.5.1 About binomial theorem I am teeming with a lot of news: oral tests in a first-year math class
Shai Cohen, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, ISTEP, FASE                                            

Finding the Frequency: Clarity, Purpose, and What Matters Most   

In trying to focus on the most important elements of the pedagogy, a remedial calculus class has used many unusual elements - competency-based grading, weekly quizzes instead of a single midterm, team assignments, etc.  This year, we have added a 15-minute oral test to the course.  Fully customizable (due to the grading system), this test allows students to go back to the weakest elements of their studies and have an opportunity to raise their marks by showing their ability in these attributes.  This talk will discuss the overall procedure and some of the preliminary observations about the successes and failures - the students' and the instructor's - of this experiment.       

2.5.2 Use of OneNote Class Notebook as a Combined Electronic Laboratory Notebook and Content Delivery Tool
Ahlia Khan-Trottier, Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Biochemistry, TFoM 
Calvin Watts, 4th year FAS student, Biochemistry & Immunology Majors programs

Filtering the Noise: Tools, Trends, and Tensions 

Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic which forced many aspects of laboratory course delivery to become virtual or digitized, the OneNote Class Notebook (ONCN) was implemented in an introductory-level laboratory course. Though not designed as an electronic laboratory notebook (ELN), per se, the ONCN has many useful features that are well suited for use in a laboratory course and overcomes many barriers including cost, accessibility, student reception, and lack of teaching-appropriate features which have discouraged instructors from adopting ELNs in their undergraduate courses. This workshop will describe the features and uses of the ONCN, the experiences and benefits from both the teacher and student perspectives, and considerations for implementation by instructors in other courses and disciplines.

2.5.3 Assessing students at regular checkpoints at scale    
Paul He, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Computer Science, FAS
Sadia Sharmin, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Computer Science, FAS        

Sustaining Resonance: Lessons, Insights, and Impact

This session discusses our experience with “checkpoint quizzes”—a formative assessment strategy designed to help students self-regulate, monitor their learning, and get support well before high stakes evaluations. Checkpoint quizzes are short, low stakes assessments delivered regularly during our courses’ tutorials. By focusing on recently taught concepts and weighing only a small portion of the course grade, these quizzes give students frequent opportunities to gauge their understanding without the pressure associated with midterms.

A key feature of this model is its emphasis on accessibility and inclusion. Students are given ample time to complete each quiz and are offered a structured retake mechanism, ensuring that a single attempt does not determine their success. When students continue to struggle after a retake, an oral exam intervention provides personalized support and helps staff connect students with additional resources.

Beginning in the 2025–2026 academic year, we introduced automated testing for programming-based quizzes. This change provides students with near instant feedback while dramatically reducing the grading load for instructors and teaching assistants. Early indicators show that the shift to automated assessment has preserved the benefits of the oral exam intervention, with retake patterns comparable to previous years despite significant workload reductions.