For universities and colleges that want to assess:
how applicants work in a collaborative setting
how applicants approach complex problems
applicants' ability to design and innovate solutions for real-world problems
applicants' ability to synthesize ideas and apply concepts
how applicants work with constraints
Master academic content
Think critically and solve complex problems
Work collaboratively
Communicate effectively
Learn how to learn
Develop academic mindsets
Rationale for Use
Having applicants engage in a collaborative design task will encourage applicants to apply new or existing knowledge to a real-world setting, the details of which can be easily customized to your institution's interests. For example, prompts could be differentially made for applicants depending on the program they are applying to, allowing your office to more directly assess their mastery of relevant academic content or how they think through complex problems in the field.
Since the applicants will be working through the task synchronously with a partner, admissions officers will also be able to see how the applicant collaborates and communicates with others in an authentic setting.
Design
Possible Prompts
Prompts can touch on general issues or be scenario-based. A broader prompt will task the applicants with finding a niche in the issue that they can enter through to make an impact, allowing for greater creativity and display of their personal interests and competencies. A scenario-based prompt with a specified format for a solution, alternatively, will better allow your office to observe how the applicants work within constraints.
The amount of background information that is provided or is expected to be had is another choice for your institution to make. If your office is interested in assessing applicants' ability to apply a specific body of information, then you may want to include background information with an expectation that it informs the applicants' solutions. If your office is more interested in assessing applicants' familiarity with certain concepts, then perhaps you would create a prompt that focuses on the concepts of interest but does not provide information explaining what they are.
The diagram below demonstrates both what these decisions may look like in a prompt and how the prompts could be customized to the specific interests of your university or program.
Timeline
Evaluation Guide
Application of Knowledge
If background information was given, how much was it incorporated in the design of the solution? Is the solution largely speculative, or is there reason to believe it would succeed?
Approach
How does the applicant approach the task? What aspects of the issue are they most drawn to?
Creativity
How original is the solution? How original are the ideas that the applicant individually contributed?
Collaboration Style
How does the applicant interact with their partner? Do they listen well? How receptive are they to their partner's ideas or criticisms? What role do they assume in the partnership? Does their partner seem to enjoy working with them?
Communication
Is the applicant generally able to communicate their thoughts and ideas clearly and concisely?
FAQs
Given that applicants will need to be given a considerable amount of time for the task, how will admissions offices feasibly evaluate all of the recordings?
The video call recordings do not need to be watched in full! Your office may decide to "spot-check" a few set intervals (i.e. only watch 00:00-00:03, 00:10-00:15, etc.), or watch the entirety of the clip at 2x speed, or something else.
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