This semester, I wrote the midterm for early American history in consultation with my students. Not only did students help define the scope of the exam; they also approved the final version of the midterm before it was assigned today.

As a result of our collaboration, the midterm became an extended discussion of the course objectives and how they relate to the specific materials covered both in the classroom as well as in the textbook.

Because students know what is expected, they all have an excellent chance of earning a 4.0. Yet the exam is demanding. Not one easy A will be given. The midterm is truly designed to assess the skills students have developed as historians and members of the academic community.

One way to get our students to think critically is to discuss authentic assessment with them while designing exams that focus on critical thinking instead of memorization.

–Steven L. Berg, PhD