Presented By: Makenzie Lee, Colorado State University
Co-Authors: Chad Miller, Colorado State University

Plant identification (ID) courses can be a challenging course for many students. In these courses, students are introduced to and expected to learn dozens of plants, including scientific and common names, along with cultural information. Students are introduced to numerous plant species in these courses, often through instructor-guided walks around campus during the lab sessions. A low stakes, non-graded assessment activity has been implemented at the beginning and the end of the ID courses, serving two primary objectives; 1) to acquaint students with specific quiz sheet and assessment expectations at the beginning of the semester and 2) to provide a record of their knowledge for self-reflection to compare their knowledge acquisition from the beginning to the end of the semester. The quizzes are digital presentations of fifteen common plants found in the landscape. The same presentation is used for both assessments. The quizzes are scored, but not used as part of the formal assessment of the course. Seven years of data for this activity have shown significant (P = <0.001) increase in student knowledge gain, over the course of the semester, with scores increasing from an average of 1.6 at the beginning of the semester to 9.7 at the end of the semester. This activity requires minimal input and effort, is well-received by students and provides them with documentation and affirmation of learning over the course of the semester.