1. . . . in relation to your role as an external examiner
Inclusive Assessment
. . . in relation to your role as an external examiner
Pollyanna Magne
Educational Developer
Programme Director: PGCAP

2. Motivations to enhance inclusive assessment
Assessment is a significant driver of student learning
(Brown and Knight, 1994; Ramsden, 1992; O’Donovan et al, 2000)
We face a system of assessment that has been subject to slow incremental change, to compromise and to inertia assessment is not sufficiently equipping students to learn. We are failing to prepare students for the rest of their lives. (Boud & Falchikov, 2009)
Assessment needs to, motivate and challenge the learner, stimulate thinking and provide feedback. (Price, Rust, O’Donovan and Handley, 2012: 9)
Assessment should provide frequent, interactive assessments of student progress and understanding and to stimulate that ‘intrinsic motivation to learn’ (Anon, 2008; Gardner, 2012)
Review of National Student Survey results in the UK indicates that universities ‘could do better’ when it comes to assessment and feedback (Magne, 2012: 28)

3. How does inclusivity relate to assessment?
National Union of Students (NUS) states HE needs to improve assessment and feedback
National Student Survey has low scores for assessment & feedback
A review of University of Plymouth assessment (2012) indicated inconsistent practices
Confidence and expectations gap between male and female students (Cotton, 2013)
Attainment gap for minority ethnic groups (Cotton, 2013)
Attainment gap for white working class students (Southern Universities Network, 2017)

4. Equality is giving people the same thing(s) Equity is fairness in every situation Inclusivity removes the barriers
Equality
Equity
Inclusivity

5. Moving towards inclusivity
Contingent approach
offers provision of special arrangements or adjustments within existing systems.
Alternative approach
offers different assessment methods as a bolt-on for a minority of disabled students.
Inclusive approach
is designed to ensure accessibility for all students and reduces the need for Modified Assessment Provision.
Waterfield J,. and West, B. (2006). SPACE Project. Plymouth: Plymouth University

6. How does inclusivity relate to assessment?
Time for some myth-busting . . .
Assessment criteria and standards are set
Inclusion does NOT mean adjusting the criteria or standards
It is NOT about making assessment easier
Inclusive assessment is about designing accessible assessment and the scaffolding to enable students to achieve each assessment to the best of their ability

7. Example of an inclusive assessment task
Present your research project proposal to a small audience of
subject specialists. The presentation should be 15 minutes,
accompanied with 5-10 slides. There will be 5 minutes for questions at the end.
Learning Outcomes:
Outline your research project proposal
Contextualise your research within your discipline
Justify the chosen methodology
Consider the ethics of the project
Potential issues with this assessment
High levels of anxiety
Lack of presentation experience
Use of English as an additional language
Speech impediment

8. Example of an inclusive assessment task
Present your research project proposal to a small audience of
subject specialists. The presentation should be 15 minutes,
accompanied with 5-10 slides. There will be 5 minutes for questions at the end.
Learning Outcomes:
Outline your research project proposal
Contextualise your research within your discipline
Justify the chosen methodology
Consider the ethics of the project
Inclusive scaffolding
Clear assessment brief
Class time to discuss task
Examples of previous presentations
Input on methodologies
Input on presentation skills / technology
Class time to develop project ideas
Peer group discussion and feedback
Individual support for presentation skills
Peer pairings for dry run and comment
Final presentation (Podcast MAP)

9. Motivations for inclusive assessment at University of Plymouth
2012 review of the PU assessment indicated inconsistent practices
Student voice states good assessment and feedback is important
Traditionally NSS & SPQ low scores for assessment & feedback
Student retention through learning from regular meaningful assessment tasks and prompt feedback.
Large numbers of disabled students at Plymouth 16.7% (2017/18 CIS)
Disabled Student Allowance reductions in student support in 2015 onwards
Costs of modified assessment provision (MAPs) are high

10. ‘The coursework guidance was ambiguous’
Student voice on feedback (NUS, 2016)
‘The coursework was outdated, and difficult because it lacked industry relevance’
‘Feedback is often provided within a matter of hours after sending work off for formative marking, meaning students can improve and work on skills needed continuously’
‘The assessments were vague and unclear leaving me puzzled and confused- I have no idea what makes an A, B or C’.
We need formative assessment at the beginning so we can improve in summative assessments’
‘The coursework guidance was ambiguous’

11. Inclusive Assessment offers a ‘win-win’ approach:
Uses the same assessment for all students
Provides benefits for all students (not just some)
Minimises Modified Assessment Provisions (MAPs)
Reduces staff workload
Uses instant resit if required to reduce the need for campus-based end-of summer exams
Increases student satisfaction

12. Assessment activities . . .
Consider assessment types across the programme.
Improvisation
Design & build / model
Create poetry / art
Programme something
Podcast
Literature review
Quiz
Simulation
Group wiki
Website
Poster
Performance
Essay
OSCE / ISCE
Practice / placement
Audio reflection
Scrap book
Critique
Presentation
Observe and reflect
Dissertation / Thesis
Exam:
open book; 24 hour; scenario based; unseen; online; MCQ; student generated
To what extent does the programme: use innovative and relevant/authentic assessment?
facilitate progression, rehearsal, improvement?

13. Ask the team what makes their course assessment inclusive
Check the scaffolding!
. . . is this visible in the assignment brief?
Feed-in
Set up, briefing, preparation,
practice, marking criteria
Feed-forward
Formative ‘feedback’, cues, discussion, mid-way reviews, peer & self feedback
Feedback
end of task, written, verbal, mp3, Utube,
marks/grades
Learning
Space
Feed-in
Staging of tasks
(progressive &
building complexity)
Formative feedback
(P. Magne, 2012)

14. Check that the assessment:
briefs are clear, self-explanatory and available
questions are well-written, clearly structured, avoid ambiguity
criteria measure the stated module learning outcomes
types / format vary across the programme
is authentic / work related / relevant / useful / showcasing
facilitates progression, rehearsal and improvement
includes scheduled time for feed-in / development activity
is limited to a max of 2 assessments per module / avoids overassessment
expectations are reasonable and achievable within the given-time frame
feedback is clear, useful, transferrable
grading is consistent across markers and aligned with FHEQs

15. https://www. plymouth. ac

16. References
Ainscow, M. (2007) ‘From special education to effective schools for all: a review of the progress so far’,
in Florian, L (ed.) The Sage Handbook of Special Education. London: Sage.
Anon (2008). Assessment for learning: formative assessment. Learning in the 21st Century: Research, Innovation and
Policy, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation.
Artiles, A. J., et al. (2006). "Chapter 3: Learning in Inclusive Education Research: Re-mediating Theory and Methods With a
Transformative Agenda." Review of Research in Education 30(1):
Baloche, L. (1994). "Breaking down the walls: integrating creative questioning and cooperative learning into the social studies." The social studies 85:
Brown, S. and P. Knight (1994). Assessing learners in Higher Education. London, Kogan Page.
Chapman, J. and S. Arenson (1993). "Motivation loss in small groups: free riding on a cognitive task." Motivation 119(1):
Cotton, D., et al. (2010). The gender and ethnicity attainment gap research project: Executive summary. PedRIO paper. Online, University of Plymouth.
Fraser, S. and E. Dean (1997). "Why open learning?" Australian Universities Review 1: 25-31
Furnham, A. (1997). The psychology of behaviour at work: the individual in the organisation. UK, Psychology Press.
Gardner, J. (2012). Assessment and learning. London, Sage.
Harvey, L., S. Moon, et al. (1997). Graduates' work:organisation change and students' attributes. Birmingham, Centre for research into quality.
Jessop, T., et al. (2011). "TESTA: Research Inspiring Change." Educational Developments 12(4):
Magne, P. (2012). "Assessment Equivalent Frameworks: to be or not to be?" Educational Developments 13.1(March 2012):
Magne, P. and W. Miller (2015). "Inclusive assessment design and delivery in the disciplines." Inclusive Assessment, PedRIO paper 7.
Mutch, A. (1998). "Employability or learning? Groupwork in Higher Education." Education and training 40(2):
Price, M., et al. (2012). Assessment Literacy: The Foundation for Improving Student Learning. Oxford, Oxford centre for staff and learning development.
Slee, R. (2001). "'Inclusion in Practice': Does practice make perfect?" Educational Review 53(2):
Southern Universities Network (2017) White working class males in British higher education: pre and post entry perspectives. Research and advice from nine southern universities. Southern Universities Network
Trist, E. (1983). "Referent organisations and the development of interorganisational domains." Human relations 36:
Waterfield J,. and West, B. (2006). SPACE Project. Plymouth: Plymouth University