What Do You Find Beautiful about Viruses? A Post-COVID Assessment Strategy

In the age of an ongoing pandemic and the ungrading movement, many instructors have been taking a closer look at their assessment methods. Assessment in science courses typically focuses heavily on checking understanding of underlying vocabulary and processes rather than highlighting an emotional connection to the material. For the final exam in a senior-level virus biotechnology course in Spring 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022, an additional assessment question asking students what they found beautiful about viruses was implemented. Students highlighted a surprisingly large range of concepts, and all students received full marks for their thorough descriptions of their chosen concept. These responses were also interesting and joyful to grade as the instructor. Examples of responses and potential benefits of this approach are provided and discussed.