| Assessment Strategy | Likely Effort Level for Educator | Relation to UDL | Technology or Other Required Resources | Impact for Diverse Learners and/or Students with Accommodations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consult pedagogical resources or experts in your department to ensure that the volume of what you’re asking students to do is manageable in the time frame given. | Low | It’s not uncommon for assessments to better measure test-taking skills rather than content knowledge. | Campus colleagues | This will help students persist and remain engaged with the course without being overwhelmed. |
| Eliminate or minimize timed tests or ensue that adequate time is allotted. | Low | Timed-tests often better reveal test-taking skills than accurately capturing aptitude. Students who feel better able to show what they know are more engaged and motivated to learn. | None | Many smart, capable students without accommodations are not fast test-takers. This could eliminate the need for an accommodation to have extended time on tests. |
| Allow online tests to be taken when a student chooses. | Low | Some students have back-to-back classes, work several jobs, or do better at certain times of the day. | Moodle | Students with chronic migraines, sleep disorders, or who rely on prescription medication for their functionality would benefit from choosing when to take their tests. |
| Provide distraction-reduced test-taking environments. | Depends on your classroom | Students who are distracted may not be able to engage with the exam or quiz. | Allow desks to face the wall Trifold cardboard privacy screens | May reduce the need for students to make use of the Proctoring Center. |
| Collect digital copies of class notes so you can make sure students are taking good notes; share quality notes with the class. | Medium | This plays a part in monitoring levels of engagement as well as a way to monitor progress of your students. | Moodle or Class Notebook (part of OneNote) | Reduces anxiety related to notetaking; increases engagement (rather than focusing on taking notes); supports students who are absent or missed part of class; enhances accessibility for all students; eliminates the need for a notetaking accommodation. |
| Present a certain number of test questions and then tell students they need to answer all but 5 of them. | Low | This increases your ability to learn students’ areas of weakness and for them to have time to address them. | None | Provides students with options for articulating learning and helps build on student strengths and weaknesses. |
| Divide long-term projects into short-term objectives. Offer feedback on the short-term work. | Low | Helping your students to plan their work helps them engage with that work. | None (although you could use tools like Microsoft Planner to help) | Students with and without executive functioning challenges benefit from organizational tools/strategies that break tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Immediate feedback ensures students are on the right track and are meeting the expectations set forth in the course. |
| Provide guidance for students to know when and how to ask for help. Confirm students understand. | Low | Helping your students know how you or staff offices can assist them will help them engage with their work | None | Helps students remain engaged and on task as well as reduces the number of times they may need to seek further assistance. Will reduce stress and provide accessible resources for addressing questions when they arise. |
| Use formative assessments to gauge student understanding. | Low | Formative assessments keep students engaged and they inform you as the teacher as to how students are doing with their learning objectives. | Pen and paper Nearpod Kahoot Poll Everywhere, etc. | Provides students with alternative ways of expressing their acquired knowledge. Students gain immediate feedback that is useful in understanding course content. |
| Provide alternative formats for various assignments — big and small. If you assign a paper, perhaps allow a presentation or documentary to be made. | High | Students for whom writing is a barrier may be able to display successful completion of learning objectives another way. | Depends on the options available. | Gives students autonomy and provides avenues for demonstrating learning in a way that suits individual learner needs. |
| Model multiple means of solving the same problem. | Medium | We’re seeing this especially in the math field that various students succeed with various ways of getting to the same result. Modeling those various methods can help your students that need it. | Use Panopto to record alternative ways to solve problems examined in class. | Provides flexibility (rather than black and white thinking) with delivery and presentation. Students arrive at the same end goal multiple ways. |
| Offer what you can to account for the increasingly high demands on student’s time. (e.g., offer passes to turn things in late.) | Low | Students who are not as stressed are more likely to have higher levels of engagement with their work. | None | Supports all students with the demands of college life (including juggling academics, sports, jobs, clubs and making time for a healthy personal life). All students can benefit from a “pass” to alleviate the need for perfection. |
| Offer alternative grading or “ungrading” to alleviate the stressors associated with grades, particularly high-stakes grades. | High | Students who are not as stressed are more likely to have higher levels of engagement with their work. | Center for Teaching Learning and Research can help with this. | Grades in general create stress for many students. Differing your grading practices can help students feel less pressure to perform to a “specific standard.” |