Inclusive Assignments and Assessments

Assignments and assessments are powerful tools for advancing equity and inclusion in the classroom. They shape how learners engage with course material and how their learning is recognized and valued. Inclusive design in this area means offering clarity, flexibility, relevance, and meaningful feedback so that all learners have a fair opportunity to succeed. The strategies below center inclusive practices that support learners from diverse backgrounds, with varied needs, strengths, and lived experiences. 

Inclusive choices can be made around the assignments you give and how you assess them. Equitable assignments take into consideration how to help all learners succeed by incorporating flexibility, scaffolding learning, and providing clarity.  Some specific strategies include:

• Connect assignments to the course learning outcomes
• Scaffold assignments to not only begin with low-stakes before moving to higher-stakes assignments, but also allow for practice, feedback, and revision
• Design assignments that are authentic to the practical skills and norms that learners will need once they graduate
• Allow for learners to bring in their cultural and lived experiences as well as incorporate examples and materials from diverse perspectives and authors. For instance, if you use case studies, these should include diverse perspectives and identities.
• Incorporate flexibility in options for learners to engage and compose in multiple means (e.g., essays, presentations, projects, audio, visual).
• Develop Transparent Assignment Design (TAD) where you have clear, well-structured assessments.
• Provide assignment instructions in writing and verbally.
• Use inclusive and non-binary language in assignments and assessments and remove any problematic language.
• Consider the equity issues that arise when using proctoring and potential alternatives.
• If using tests, quizzes, or exams, provide ample time for them to be completed and account for learners’ testing anxiety by previewing exactly the realms they should study for.
• If using a rubric, share it ahead of time and answer questions learners may have on how you will assess it.
• Provide feedback throughout the assignment process, and once their final submission is in, that helps learners understand what they did well and areas to improve in.
• Consider assessing work in D2L’s anonymous mode to reduce implicit bias.
   

Assess learners’ work when you are in a space to provide equitable and kind feedback and grades. For instance, if you have had a really bad day, your grading may be unconsciously harsher.
 

Some reflection questions for thinking about inclusion in your assignments and assessments include:

• How well do my assignments connect to the course learning outcomes, and how can I communicate this to learners?
• How do I structure assignments to provide low-stakes tasks, practice, feedback, and revision opportunities before high-stakes assignments?
• How do my assignments reflect practical skills and norms relevant to learners’ future careers, and how can they be made more authentic?
• How can I incorporate learners’ cultural and lived experiences into assignments, and how diverse are the perspectives and examples I use?
• What options do I offer for assignment completion (e.g., essays, presentations), and how can I expand these to better meet learner needs?
• How clear and well-structured are my assignments from a learner perspective, and what feedback have I received from learners about this?
• Do I provide assignment instructions in both written and verbal formats to ensure understanding?
• How inclusive is the language in my assignments, and how can I improve it?
• What equity issues might arise from proctoring tools, and what alternatives can I consider?
• How do I allocate time for tests and help learners manage testing anxiety and preparation?
• How can I share grading criteria ahead of time and provide feedback that helps learners understand their strengths and areas for improvement?
• How can I ensure I am in a positive and equitable mindset when grading, and what strategies do I use for providing constructive feedback?
   

The resources below informed this content. They are also great resources for learning more:

• Columbia’s Assessing Equitably with All Learners in Mind
• Denver’s Inclusive Assessment
• Indiana University Bloomington’s Equitable Assignment Design
• Indiana University Bloomington’s Proctoring and Equity
• New York University’s Inclusive Curriculum Design and Assessment Practices
• Reinert Center’s Creating Inclusive Course Assignments