Assessment

Share clear assessment criteria with an evaluation rubric and clear learning outcomes for assignments (Guðjónsdóttir & Óskarsdóttir, 2016).

Impact: Clarifying assessment criteria ensures that all students understand the expectations and requirements of an assignment, regardless of their backgrounds or abilities. This promotes equal opportunities for all learners to have their efforts recognized and evaluated fairly.

Create clear assignment descriptions, including the learning students will be applying (explaining course concepts, investigating course concepts, challenging course concepts, etc.) and reference the course content (lectures, chapters, class activities) that will help students complete the assignment.

Impact: Helps students understand how the assignment relates to the course material, providing a clear roadmap for the completion of work. Including course concepts in descriptions helps students grasp the underlying principles and theories they must apply. Ensuring students understand the purpose and objective motivates students to delve deeper into the course topic and develop a more comprehensive understanding.

Provide choices and multiple options for assignments, including choice between different topics and choice between different formats of assignment (oral presentation, podcast, game, poem, comic, video. etc.), in as much as possible.

Impact: Allows sudents to choose assignments that align with their strengths, interests learning preferences and abilities. This also reinforces the notion that students are in control of their learning and can be trusted to know the best way to express their understanding, positioning instructors as facilitator and supporter of learning.

Adopt self-assessment and student reflection as a component of assignment grading.

Impact: Encourages students to gain a deeper understanding of their strengths and challenges. Promoting opportunities for students to express in their own words their needs and experiences helps instructors identify and address any barriers to learning and provide tailored support based on student reflections. This also emphasizes the role of self-reflection in learning, including reflection on how one is learning and how they are impacting the learning of others.

References

Guðjónsdóttir, H., & Óskarsdóttir, E. (2016). Inclusive education, pedagogy and practice. Science education towards inclusion, 7–22.