Empowering Whole Classroom Ownership of Assessments
Time to read: 4 minutes
We have to own it! Assessment is vital in determining if education goals are met. It impacts grades, instructors, instruction, curriculum, and, in some cases, whether a class will be repeated or offered again next semester.
Consider
Are we teaching what we think we are teaching?
What are students learning, and how do we know?
Can our teaching methods be improved?
Universal Design encompasses a framework for thinking about these questions and organizing assessments.
Where are all the fellow UDL-inspired instructors? As a card-carrying member of the UDL-Approach-to-Assessment Club (a fictitious club but fan-worthy approach to teaching and learning), we know that UDL assessments differ significantly from traditional assessments. Universally designed assessments are more inclusive and comprehensive, making them an excellent tool for identifying the students' knowledge gaps and eliminating bias from assessment instruments.
Assessments typically serve two purposes:
to inform the students of their learning progress
to inform the instructor of the next steps in their teaching practice
While we can't control how well students prepare for assessments, we can control how students are assessed.
We all think we know what it means to be successful, but we can never forget that student success includes their version of studying, practicing, and actualizing their learning. Given the plethora of different ways to learn, there should also be as many different ways to test what we have learned.
I recently administered a test covering two modules' worth of content, and more than half of the class scored less than 80% accuracy. My go-to approach to better understanding their scores was meeting with students to determine areas that needed refinement, re-taught, or improvement.
However, after speaking with students, I found I could not pinpoint a specific reason for the low scores, but rather, the students confirmed my suspicion that all of the students approached the exam in different ways and struggled with various assessment barriers.
This semester, what I started doing instead was collecting feedback throughout the entire semester, not just after a particular exam or assessment. By continually asking students what they need to be successful, I can gauge if I need to improve my clarity, accessibility, or timeliness. Assessing students through informal feedback has also opened my eyes to how students engage with the course material and their learning goals.
As a result, I’ve made a few simple changes to how and when I offer assessments.
Below are four simple approaches to adapting assessment techniques and a sample of open-ended questions you can ask your students to start the conversation. We hope they inspire you to take action in your course!
Four Strategies
Strategy #1: Check for Alignment
Review your learning goals. Do assessment questions accurately measure your learning goals and objectives? How do you know if everything is aligned?
See also: Course Alignment Worksheet
Strategy #2: Expand How Students Engage With the Course Materials
Add opportunities for practice and reflection exercises to apply course concepts. How often are students prompted to test their knowledge before the assessment? What about after the assessment? How/when do students reflect?
See also: Creating Continuous Feedback Loops to Support Online Learners
Strategy #3: Offer More Choices
Offering choice and variety in assessing learning can also reduce assessment barriers. These may include flexible assessment options such as varying formats, question types, and deadlines to promote learner success. Could you offer students a choice between two similar assignments? Could they choose between completing three short answer questions or one extensive essay? How could you allow for more choice in how you assess classroom learning? **link to reuse and remix course content**
See also: Remixing and Reusing Course Content
Strategy #4: Ask Students for Feedback
Get into the habit of routinely asking students to share their experiences. Consider asking:
What are you learning, and have you experienced any barriers to learning? Explain.
What do you like about the course, and what is helping you learn? Explain.
What changes would you make if you were the instructor? Explain.
By discussing students' feedback in class and making changes where possible, I have increased student motivation, enhanced the learning experience, and improved my teaching evaluations.
Combining student feedback with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach to assessments has proven to be an effective way to help students accurately demonstrate their knowledge and identify areas where they need improvement. By using assessment options based on inclusion, barriers that students often face when demonstrating their knowledge are reduced.
As an instructor, it is within your power to make a difference by utilizing a variety of assessment approaches tailored to different student populations, needs, and goals.
Wait, there’s More!
We talk a lot about how to give feedback to students, but what about how to receive it?
Encouraging student feedback effectively evaluates and improves teaching, course design, and student engagement efforts.
Download a FREE guide with strategies to collect and respond to dynamic student feedback.
