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The Beauty of CSS Design

Presuming Competence By Design • A Tutorial for Systems, Environment, Curricular, and Materials Design in Learning Systems

Requirements

Universally-Designed Assessments

 

Consider these three principles of universal design from CAST:

 

• Multiple means of representation, to give learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge,
• Multiple means of expression, to provide learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know,
• Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners' interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation.

Multimodal designs get at multiple means of representation and multiple means of engagement. However, the missing piece of the equation for learners is often multiple means of expression.

 

How do you assess students or assess learning in your class? Do you design a flexible assessment focused on allowing the students to demonstrate learning by a variety of means, or do you use a single assessment that is in a single mode or format?

 

A good example of a universally-designed assessment would be a class project in which students must demonstrate their learning and application of the content from a college course. Check out the Assignment section of this example syllabus (PDF, used with permission from the instructor). Notice how the instructor separated the format the final project should take from the content.