Inclusive design for online assessment

This resource provides guidance for teachers on how to design more inclusive assessments.

For general good practice, see:

 

Scaffolding students towards assessment

Integrating assessment literacy into course design can help students prepare for exams.Provide opportunities for frequent practice, low stakes assessments that lead to higher stakes assessments.Communicate clear expectations for:

  • how to set up a safe and comfortable working environment
  • the assessment format
  • the software platform

 

Designing inclusive assessments

It can be useful to identify the purpose of your assessment and how it aligns with the learning and enhances opportunities for higher order thinking. Where appropriate, provide marking rubrics in advance.

 

An Introduction to UDL and Assessment

Transcription available at udloncampus.cast.org Links to an external site.

 

Consider the construct relevance of your assessment

Your assessment should aim to minimise barriers for students and focus on the knowledge, skills and abilities being assessed.

  • Choose question types that do not over-emphasise English language skills (where this is not essential to demonstrating learning). For example, instead of questions that require students to spell unusual terms, provide those terms and require them to explain the concept and reasoning in everyday language.
  • Avoid weighting assessments in a format that strongly favours/disadvantages students with particular characteristics. For example, closed-book, timed quizzes tend to favour students with good memory recall and fast reading/processing/typing ability—none of which may be relevant to the learning outcomes.

 

Support learner variability through flexible assessments

  • Provide options so that all learners can act on new information and demonstrate what they know. Diversify question types to cater for learner variability.
  • Consider embedded design features in digital assessments (e.g. text-to-speech capability).

 

Reflect on how you could minimise or remove the following potential barriers

  • text-heavy assessments
  • multiple choice assessments (paper-based or online)
  • online assessments
  • time restrictions
  • prescribed writing tools (handwriting to typing)
  • unfamiliar layout
  • length of assessment
  • size and organisation of spaces and boxes to record in
  • printed assessment
  • consider context and cultural relevance

 

Adapted from

Further reading

Strategies for specific challenges