A Semester without Exams: Approaches in a Small and Large Course.

Exams carry pedagogical downsides: they can create stress, decrease intrinsic motivation, and tend to reduce opportunities for creative problem-solving. Exams are also difficult to administer when flexibility is paramount, such as during remote learning, when students have special testing conditions, or during a pandemic when a subset of students are sick or in quarantine. To account for these shortcomings, I designed and instituted two completely exam-free undergraduate Neuroscience and Behavior courses in the Spring of 2021, one a large introductory-level course and the other a small upper-level elective course. In the large introductory-level course, I used several methods including Gradescope and new roles for my Teacher's Assistants to keep the grading load manageable. This exam-free approach was evaluated in four areas: creative thinking, interest in the material, stress level, and academic performance. Evaluation of success in these areas was completed via student feedback and by comparing final projects to final projects from previous semesters. The exam-free approach produced favorable or neutral results in every measured outcome. The framework for an exam-free course described here could be a useful starting point for other instructors who want to eliminate exams.