“I learned so much by doing this research project, and surprisingly had fun with it.” 
          – student response

I knew this final was a winner when students spent the entire final exam period enthusiastically sharing their research projects. Then the student survey results came in confirming their enthusiasm. Across the board the vast majority of students found this final superior to the traditional multiple-choice and short answer final. Over 80% of the students in my three classes believed they learned more, would remember longer, and used higher order thinking skills more than they would have with a traditional final exam.


The secret ingredient was that this exam was, in actual fact, a multiple-choice final. The multiple choice part was the topics, not the answers. Economics class students were given a choice of 24 general topics. Civics class students were given a choice of over 150 topics. Over and over students told me how great it was to get to study something they really wanted to study. Choice was the key element to the success of this final exam.


Success was also reflected in my ability to assess student skills. The exam was setup so I could assess how much students had learned about applying their subject matter knowledge in a practical application of that knowledge. I could also assess how well students had developed their research, evaluation, analytical, and synthesis skills. These skills went so far beyond memorizing a hundred or so vocabulary words and subject matter questions that would be forgotten before the end of the day.


This research exam was divided into four parts. In the first part students had to select a topic and write a paragraph explaining why they were passionate about that topic. Next each student had to find at least twelve reliable sources and record at least one solid piece of evidence from each source. Then they were required to complete an outline with enough detail so I could write an essay about their topic using only the outline as my resource. Finally students wrote an essay of at least 1200 words supporting their thesis. The essay was graded using a rubric.


There was quite a bit of correcting involved with this four part final, especially since there were a number of overachievers who wrote well beyond the 1200 word minimum. The enthusiasm of the students made it worth all the work. I have never seen students so excited about taking a final exam. I have never been so confident that students will take their new found knowledge and skills with them for quite some time. This exam format was a winner for both teacher and students.


Below are the results of the six most important questions on the student survey. I mirrored each question with one naming the traditional final. The results were also mirrored. The last question on the survey was a neutral, “Please add any comments you might have about the research essay final exam.” The comments were overwhelmingly positive.