This is a great thread and speaks to what I've done.

Removed 3 exams (kept cumulative final 20%)
2x a week mini-quiz (15 min, 1%, drop 4)
Bi-weekly cumulative quiz (30 min, 7%, drop 1) to scaffold.
Weekly @packbackco to stimulate interest in current events. (1%, drop 2) https://twitter.com/Jodyji/status/1329835339452538885

As the thread discusses (seriously, read it), this ends up seeming to be more work for those students who would rather just wait for the 3 big exams and study 20 hours the two days before. Do I blame them for that? No way, I did that plenty in my classes.

Do I wish I had instructors who nudged me into better learning habits? Absolutely.

One thing I did early on was to paint this picture for students. I sent out a schedule to show students the work was not as much as it seems once you split it up. Here is my email

I will be taking the same approach in the spring but with earlier communication to students as to why the course is designed the way it is designed. I'd be interested in hearing from both faculty and students how your classes changed during this pandemic.