The Epic Finale in the Sport Psychology Classroom: Escaping the Traditional Final Exam Format as the Culminating Class Experience

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to introduce sport psychology faculty to a nontraditional learning activity or assessment, the “epic finale.” An epic finale is a final, memorable learning experience that motivates students to continue thinking about material after the class is concluded and leaves students with a positive experience of the course and the content. The epic finale engages students in the learning process and can be an effective conclusion to the semester. Multiple examples of epic finales will be presented, including a movie analysis, escape room, and scavenger hunt.

Keywords:

• Active learning
• assessment
• experiential learning
• teaching