The UnEssay project as an enriching alternative to practical exams in pre-professional and graduate education

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated changes in educational strategy, including modification of assessments. Students in the Master of Biomedical Sciences (MBS) program at Duke University School of Medicine are required to take a course entitled Organ Systems (OS), which includes organ histology. In pre-pandemic circumstances, cumulative histology knowledge was assessed in the form of a practical exam. This year we used the UnEssay Project in lieu of the practical exam to assess student competency in organ system histology. Students worked within their team-based learning (TBL) teams and submitted unique UnEssay projects in a variety of formats. Notable examples of submitted projects include: a histological poetry slam, a histological travel guide, a TikTok histology tutorial, and histology Jeopardy. Student feedback on the project was overwhelmingly positive and each team met the main project objectives. We utilised the UnEssay Project as a means to assess student knowledge and competency in identification of histological features and organs. We applied this project format as a means for assessment, but believe that other applications within basic science education, including graduate courses, would be equally as successful. Based on positive student feedback, we plan to use the UnEssay Project again in the 2021-2022 academic year.