Using Digital Tools: Inclusive Assessment As Learning

Being inclusive by design means designing curricula that facilitate multiple means of engagement for students, multiple means of representation of the material, and multiple means of action through learning or expression through assessment. This anticipatory approach removes barriers to learning and reduces the need for ad hoc adaptations or adjustments for inclusivity. Technology can be a useful tool to enable students to access content, engage with learning, and demonstrate they have met learning outcomes. Curriculums that take seriously the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) support learner preferences and meet the needs of learners while minimising the need for adjustments to plans and content during delivery. An Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action (IPAA) incorporates and builds on the principles of UDL by encouraging educators to consider how their pedagogical approach supports deep learning and creates meaningful learning opportunities through a more inter-connected learning community. In this presentation, we describe the design and delivery of a pilot team-based peer-assessed activity delivered in year one of the MBChB, the Medicine and Surgery degree programme. There is a desire to incorporate alternative assessment into the MBChB as part of the Curriculum Transformation Project, but there is little precedence for this given the regulatory landscape in which the medicine degree sits and the demands of the programme. We used digital tools to scaffold the activity and assessment, and here we outline how learning technology was embedded to respect student differences, facilitate working together rather than in isolation, and promote learning.