One of the many benefits of digital transformation in education is making the student experience fairer for all learners. We're already seeing a greater focus on equity and inclusion in higher education. How might a fairer assessment experience manifest?
For example, imagine on exam day that all learners submit their answers on screen in an online assessment rather than on paper. The answers of those who have permission to type due to disability or a medical condition would then be indistinguishable in both delivery and marking.
What then happens is that more learners can take exams alongside their peers, and that is what inclusion is all about.
In the example, not only do the students with accommodations enjoy inclusion, but those that are handwriting challenged also benefit from the typed digital experience.
Gone is the stigma of “special” treatment that is so often vocalized by both affected learners and their educators. By removing such barriers between learners, the experience of education is radically changed, for the better.
When we talk about accessibility in assessment, we are referring to the design and implementation of an assessment. This includes the features available, the experience, and how inclusive it is for those with diverse needs or disabilities.
In short, an accessible digital assessment is one that can be accessed by all individuals, equitably. This means all students can take part, regardless of whether they have any physical, cognitive, or sensory limitations.
The terms ‘accessible assessment’ and ‘inclusive assessment’ sometimes get used interchangeably. The two concepts definitely go hand-in-hand in achieving this. However, there is a subtle distinction that we should make between them.
Accessible assessment focuses on the way in which an digital or online assessment is formulated and delivered. It concentrates on removing roadblocks for students who might otherwise struggle with online assessment.
Inclusive assessment concentrates on welcoming students from diverse backgrounds and encompassing all learning abilities.
While accessibility and inclusivity are both about making assessments fair and equitable, inclusivity has a broader remit that affects all learners.
For example, inclusive assessment in higher education considers factors relevant to all learners, such as language proficiency and socio-cultural contexts. The latter could come in many forms, such as family attitude to education or economic background. These factors affect everyone.
There is also the underlying learning environment that students experience, and how accessible and inclusive this is and how it impacts their assessment performance. Professor Phillip Dawson, from Deakin University Australia, addresses this issue of equitable campus experiences in our white paper Balancing assessment security and flexibility in e-assessment.
So what does accessible and inclusive assessment mean in practical terms? When it comes to setting an online assessment, accessibility and inclusivity will factor in many aspects. It's not just the capabilities of the platform itself but also the way in which the assessment is designed and the circumstances and conditions under which the exam takes place.
Here are the main factors to consider for running an accessible and inclusive online assessment:
Universal access is critical. It is our mission to make educational assessment more inclusive, fair, and relevant to the 21st century.
We have an ongoing commitment to Accessibility by Design, but achieving universal access compliance standards is just the foundation.
Our UI/UX researchers and designers continuously innovate to deliver assessments for all. New functionalities such as individual access arrangements are just a start.
For us, accessibility and universal access is a matter of mindset. It is not only about making our product accessible to all; it is also about making it better for everyone. Brent Mundy, Chief Product Officer
When planning digital transformation as an education provider, the adoption rates among learners and staff are one of the main concerns. This is an area where accessibility by design is sure to make an important impact. To ensure our solution adapts to the diverse and evolving user needs in learning inclusion, we are actively striving to meet all the necessary requirements and regulations in relation to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) technical standards.
For US users, we are working to improve accessibility for all, including those with disabilities, to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Additional to the WCAG standards mentioned above, we also follow Section 508 to enhance inclusivity and usability. We invite feedback from users as we continue to make necessary adjustments for a better user experience.
The four basic principles of WCAG are: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. For Inspera, these are reflected in the online environment where learners are submitting their exams.
As part of working to meet the WCAG code standards, Inspera has implemented an accessibility test routine. This consists of following the semantic markup standards, checking keyboard accessibility, testing various operating systems’ screen readers, and using development dependencies to notify possible accessibility issues.
Technology is a powerful sidekick. While we ensure that Inspera meets WCAG standards, there are still many ways that educators can help create an accessible and inclusive environment for their learners using Inspera Assessment. Here are a few of them:
Do you want to learn more about how to conduct online exams and assessments? Or how Inspera Assessment can make your assessments accessible, secure, valid, and reliable? You’re in luck - we wrote a "Guide to Online Exams and Assessments".
Alternatively, you can contact us about your digital assessment goals or to book a demo.
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