rethinking summative assessment udl and the dreaded unit test
TRANSCRIPT
Rethinking Summative Assessment
UDL
and the
Dreaded
Unit Test
Reminder: The Three UDL Principles
• A universally designed curriculum provides students with
– Multiple means of acquiring content and knowledge [Representation]
– Multiple means of demonstrating their learning [Action & Expression]
– Multiple means of engaging the students’ interest [Engagement]
My Test – Barriers to Access
Representation Barriers
“I can’t read this.”
“This print’s too
small.”
“I don’t understand
the question.”
“What does that word mean?”
Action & Expression Barriers
“I can’t write.”
“How do you
spell that?”
“I print too slowly.”
“I spent all my time on the diagram!”
“How do I start my answer?”
“Look at those
clouds.”
Engagement Barriers
“I’ll fail
again.”
“What, no cedar
question?”
“This is boring.”
Conclusions
• Each barrier posed by this inflexible test could skew assessment results
• This test may not accurately measure student understanding of West Coast First Nations
• I as a teacher could make poor instructional decisions based on faulty assumptions
The UDL Solution:Provide Assessment Choice
PostersE-Portfolios
Oral Presentations
Puppet Shows & Plays
Videos
Other?Websites
Interviews & Observations
If Only a Test Will Do:
• Step 1: – Determine specific learning intentions
being assessed:• What knowledge, skills, concepts, etc. are
you trying to assess?• In this case, knowledge of West Coast
First Nations– Not reading comprehension, writing skills,
spelling, organization, etc.
If Only a Test Will Do:
• Step 2– Identify potential representation, action &
expression, and engagement barriers
• Step 3– Design a Universal Solution
FOR EXAMPLE:
Offer a Digital Alternative
Text-to-voiceVoice
recorder
Multiple
content
paths
Adjustablefont
Vocabularysupports
Writingprompts
“When the supports do not undermine the central goal of the assessment, it is perfectly reasonable and, in fact, more accurate to include them.”
Rose, D. & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning.
Online at http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter7_5.cfm.
Conclusions
• UDL dovetails neatly with all our Assessment For/Of/As principles
• We see UDL in action in many classrooms, even if it’s not labelled as such
Our Future is Bright
Thank you