Assessment
A student who grew up speaking a language other than Dutch at home often struggles with his Dutch vocabulary. While doing an exam, he did not understand some of the words and phrases used in the question (but unrelated to the substance). Consequently, he did not fully understand the question and likely got a grade that did not fully reflect his knowledge and understanding of the topic being assessed.
Assessment can take many forms such as an essay, a multiple-choice exam, or a practical assignment. Usually, after a teacher analyses the information resulting from this assessment, a grade is attached to the students’ performance that determines whether they will pass a course. When all goes well, teachers assign students with a grade that accurately reflects their performance. However, this can be difficult to achieve and, as the example above illustrates, it is important for teachers to consider the accessibility and inclusivity of their assessments. Failing to do so, privileges and validates certain types of evidence of learning over others, and can perpetuate the false notion that some students do not belong in higher education Montenegro, E., & Jankowski, N. A. (2017). Equity and assessment: Moving towards culturally responsive assessment. Occasional Paper, 29. . This section of the toolbox provides strategies to aid teachers in assessing students’ learning in a fair, reliable, and efficient manner.
