By Dr. Kristina Mead Vetter, Biology Instructor
Winter 2023
As part of an alternative midterm assessment, students in my class created a Google slide describing the cell organelle or structure of their choice. Students researched detailed electron micrograph images of their chosen structure, and described its function, including pertinent metabolic processes.
They then connected what occurs in their part of the cell to what happens in other parts of the cell. Presentations were short and snappy; students had just six minutes to walk their classmates through their structure.
This year was the first time that we did this activity; being able to be more creative with assessments was a big motivating factor for moving away from AP Biology. Students appreciated having a less-stressful way of demonstrating their mastery of cell structure and metabolism.
As an instructor, I appreciated the aesthetically appealing real images of cell structure that students discovered (as opposed to textbook images), and found that the connections students made between different parts of the cell to be the most intellectually rewarding part of this exercise.
