Inclusive Assessment

Aim of the session To explore issues related to inclusive assessment through the medium of cookies

Task 1: Constructing Criteria We’re going to ask you to assess a range of different chocolate chip cookies Construct a range of criteria which allow you to assess the cookies You will use your criteria to rank cookies – ‘best’ to ‘worst’

Task 2 : Assess those cookies! We’ll present you with a selection of cookies. Use your criteria to assess them

Discussion

Task 3 : Assess these ‘cookies’ Use your criteria to assess this set of baked goodies How well do your criteria work?

Discussion How would you adapt your criteria to evaluate all biscuits on an equal basis?

Inclusive Assessment, or Just Good Assessment Practice ? We get a long way towards making assessment more inclusive by simply adopting proven good assessment practices

Inclusive Assessment, or Just Good Assessment Practice ? Choose authentic and appropriate means of assessing Unseen exams, reports and essays are overused Many other methods which may be more fit-for-purpose in-seminar assessments, posters, assessed blogs, portfolios, case studies, vivas, short answer tests, multiple choice and other computer-based tests, reflective accounts, logs, projects, (video) presentations, learning packages, annotated bibliographies, in-tray exercises, live briefs, …

Assignment Briefs Should be informative, as clear as possible and readily accessible to students communicate requirements, tasks and expectations provide detailed assessment criteria provide an implicit learning contract Clear assignment specifications help all students

Providing Choice Assessment criteria must be relevant to the learning outcomes enable assessment of the learning outcomes regardless of submission format chosen by student Producing good assessment criteria requires forethought

Choice vs Assessment Criteria Student-centred learning suggests we should offer students (constrained) choices of how they undertake an assignment and meet the learning outcomes enables students to choose an assessment format they are most comfortable with gives students agency, a key factor in motivation and engagement

Helping Students Understand Assignments Helping students understand the requirements benefits all students e.g. Wolverhampton University student-led assignment ‘unpacking’ sessions provides example assessment for students to mark improves understanding of assessment builds staff/student shared understanding of the assessment increases assessment performance for all students, but especially dyslexic and BME students improves assessment literacy & student confidence, especially in Y1 => improved retention