Linda Facchini from The Teaching and Learning Centre at Seneca College presented at the Virtual Institute on Alternative Assessment in Higher Education on November 23, 2022. Seneca is in Toronto, Canada. The title of the session was “Road to Authenticity.” Seneca has multiple campuses with diverse programs. They offer diplomas, certificates, bachelors degrees… in-person, hybrid, online & HyFlex options! Seneca College is a polytechnic institute with a focus on applied education, Facchini emphasized. They mentioned that in 2018, the institution eliminated exam week! Wow! They also established a student assessment policy with assessments focused. on learning and reflection. They offered micro credentials and online learning paths beyond the pandemic. The campus, Facchini described, has embraced globalization and HyFlex delivery. Facchini spoke about the assessment mindset and lack of familiarity with different assessments. They realized they had to offer faculty choices and guide them. Facchini explained that in 2021 they received funding to develop a the Pressbooks resource “Rethinking Assessment Strategies for Online Learning.” The resource is interactive and includes videos, templates for planning, points for reflection., and numerous resources. This resource sounds impressive and is bilingual. Facchini explained that the first module is entitled “Rethinking the Assessment Mindset” and addresses the questions: “what is the purpose of assessment?” and “what do we really want to know?”Facchini noted that the resource prompts instructors to reflect on when to use different assessments. This could make a great Faculty Mentoring Network resoruce or reading group! Francchini also noted that they are seeking contributions: bit.ly/rethinkshare The resource is truly an example with assessments, reflections, and lots of interactivity with videos and H5P. New hires at Seneca College have access to four-week professional development modules, and existing faculty can take these too. I now want to learn from the design and examples shared!
