Exploring Assessment Choice to Enhance Practice and Inclusivity in Higher Education

Friday SLO Talks: Stephanie Marshall, Janet De Wilde, Emily Salines, and Stephanie Fuller of Queen Mary University of London's Queen Mary Academy.

Main Themes:

Inclusive Assessment: Queen Mary University prioritizes inclusive assessment practices, recognizing that assessment drives learning and significantly impacts student outcomes and well-being. The presentation explores how offering assessment choices can enhance inclusivity and support students from diverse backgrounds.
Assessment Choice as a Driver for Change: The presentation highlights the benefits of assessment choice, such as promoting self-regulation, self-efficacy, engagement, and performance, aligning with principles of Universal Design for Learning. It showcases a small-scale research project exploring the impact of offering choice in a postgraduate academic practice program.
Addressing Barriers to Change: The presentation acknowledges challenges in implementing assessment changes within a large institution, including potential resistance to moving away from traditional approaches, concerns about workload, and navigating regulatory frameworks.
The Role of Educational Development: The presentation emphasizes the role of educational development units like the Queen Mary Academy in driving assessment change. It positions educational development programs as catalysts for fostering a community of innovative educators and facilitating a shift toward more inclusive practices.
Burkana Institute's Two-Loop Change Model: The presentation draws inspiration from the Burkana Institute's two-loop change model, highlighting the importance of identifying and supporting pioneers of change, convening networks of innovators, and strategically phasing out outdated practices while respecting their value.

Key Ideas and Facts:

Queen Mary University prides itself on being an inclusive Russell Group University, committed to transforming lives and opening doors of opportunity for its diverse student body.
"You can survive bad teaching, but you can't survive bad assessment." This quote highlights the lasting negative impact of poor assessment practices on student learning and outcomes.
A national student survey in the UK consistently reveals student dissatisfaction with assessment and feedback, underscoring the need for reform.
"Rethinking assessment really means rethinking long-held beliefs, and that can be difficult and painful at times." This quote acknowledges the emotional dimension of challenging ingrained assessment practices.
A research project on introducing assessment choice in a postgraduate program showed that most participants found the experience positive, inclusive, and less stressful. 90% of respondents believed that offering assessment choice would be beneficial for their own students. 60% were planning to implement it in their practice.
The Burkana Institute’s model encourages identifying "pioneers" of change, "convening" them into communities of practice, and utilizing "storytellers" to disseminate innovative approaches.

Quotes:

"Assessment drives students' learning."
"[Assessment is] a key element in supporting social justice in education."
Having the choice was surprisingly empowering."