Challenging Assessment Habits

This paper looks at assessment as a site of potential discriminatory practice. Presented through an analysis of theory, curricula interventions and evaluations, it argues that without reviewing assessment design, content and format through the lens of social justice (McArthur 2018), awarding gaps may remain. We suggest that employing a wide range of curriculum approaches e.g. reviewing curriculum, increasing student staff ratio and embedding language and academic support, may be a wasted opportunity if assessment is not reviewed and seen under the spotlight of equitable practice.  
 
How can we create an assessment environment in which the oppressed can be active in changing the structures of oppression (Freire 1972)?

We report on the approach at the University of the Arts London (and entitled ‘Enhancing Assessment for Equity’), which guides course teams as they review their assessment design and practices. Areas of enquiry range from an exploration of the values of assessment for social justice to a close look at the student assessment journey through their course and reworking of formative and summative assessment practices. Using logic-chain theory (Thomas, 2020), we find that the act of summative assessment itself may indeed prevent other curricula interventions, such as formative assessment, (Winstone and Carless 2019) having more than a minimal effect on the trajectory of awarding data (Mc Vitty 2022). Included in this work is the exploration of the positive impact of ungraded assessment as evidenced in recent institutional research led by the Academic Enhancement team at UAL.
 
We propose that in looking at assessment through the lens of social justice we can create an assessment environment that does not cause harm and instead becomes a centre for making meaning, improving students’ attainment and belonging.

• https://ahenetwork.org/