Then, at the end of their degree, selected assessments or a final project can be used to demonstrate a student’s learning. Rather than final grades for every unit, students should receive regular comments about improving their work. We need to replace regular marks with regular feedback But here are three significant changes we should focus on immediately:ġ. There is a lot that could be done to improve assessment. Survey research also shows about 15% of students are dissatisfied with the feedback they get, and this rises if students have a disability or are an international student. The coupling of assessment and feedback frequently means important messages are ignored or lost. Many students fail a unit or exam at some point in their academic career. Comments might be verbal, written or in multimedia formats, and come from lecturers, tutors, peers or even industry. Instead, it should happen when students need it most: during the semester, so they can use it in subsequent tasks. To have the best impact on learning, feedback should not happen at the same time as students get their marks or final grade. Feedback should happen throughout courses, not just with essays and exams. Research has shown students are hesitant to get an adjustment due to fear of stigmatisation, and experience anxiety or shame over requests for extra assistance to demonstrate their learning.Ĭaption. This is far less than 17.7% in the general population, which suggests there may be a hidden population of students with disabilities who could be better supported, or even that prospective students with a disability are discouraged from enrolling at all. Just over 7% of university students reported a disability when they enrolled in 2020. Even in online exams, text-to-speech software and other assistive technologies are not necessarily compatible with all course materials or assignment file formats.

Students in our research also reported that accessible spaces and equipment – such as an ergonomic chair – were not reliably available during exams.

It shows adjustments – which are legally required for those with disabilities – don’t always adequately compensate students.įor example, a common adjustment such as extra time for an essay or exam may not be suitable for students with a disability, whose outputs can be affected regardless of time. Our research shows university students with a disability are disadvantaged by current assessment formats. Students with disability need a different approach

The startup way