Inclusive assessment practices for healthier learning environments, with Char Lewis-Sutherland

Assessment can often stir up negative emotions. But what if we can reframe the way we think about it? Assessment has long been equated with what’s wrong, what needs to be “fixed” or “bettered.” In this episode, Char Lewis-Sutherland, a Senior Advisor in McGill’s Equity Team, will challenge us to think, dialogue, and act creatively on assessment. They offer insights on inclusive and anti-racist assessment practices that promote healthier learning environments by effectively supporting all students. Char also offers tips on how to keep the focus on learning and not on measuring shortcomings in or out of the classroom.  View the transcript. Learn more on our blog Teaching for Learning @ McGill.    References  American College Personnel Association (ACPA).  Cohen, G. L., Steele, C. M., & Ross, L. D. (1999). The mentor’s dilemma: Providing critical feedback across the racial divide. Personality and social psychology bulletin, 25(10), 1302-1318.  Hartman, S. (2008). Lose your mother: A journey along the Atlantic slave route. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.  Henning, G. W., & Lundquist, A. E. (2018, August). Moving towards socially just assessment (Equity Response). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).  Hockings, C. (2010). Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research. Evidence Net. Higher Education Academy.   Hurtado, S., & Sork, V. L. (2015, December). Enhancing student success and building inclusive classrooms at UCLA: Report to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost.  Lynam, S., & Cachia, M. (2018). Students’ perceptions of the role of assessments at higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(2), 223-234. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1329928  Montenegro, E., & Jankowski, N. A. (2017, January). Equity and assessment: Moving towards culturally responsive assessment (Occasional Paper No. 29). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).  Montenegro, E., & Jankowski, N. A. (2020, January). A new decade for assessment: Embedding equity into assessment praxis (Occasional Paper No. 42). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).  Mowreader, A. (2023). Academic success tip: Rebrand office hours. Inside Higher Ed.  National Institute for Learning Outcomes and Assessment (NILOA)  Podcasts on Anthology.  Sharpe, C. (2016). In the wake: On blackness and being. Duke University Press.  Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, Brown University. Effective teaching is anti-racist teaching.  Van Dinther, M. Dochy. F., & Segers, M. (2011). Factors affecting students’ self-efficacy in higher education, Educational Research Review, (6)2, 95-108.  Yeager, D. S., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Garcia, J., Apfel, N., Brzustoski, P., Master, A., … & Cohen, G. L. (2014). Breaking the cycle of mistrust: Wise interventions to provide critical feedback across the racial divide. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(2), 804-824.  Yeh, C. J., & Krumboltz, J. D. (1995). The impact of a non-competitive grading system on learning. ERIC Number: ED398173.