Invited Speaker: Student engagement through assessment design

Abstract

Michael Widjaja

Learners vary widely in how they engage with content and demonstrate understanding. Traditional written assessments, particularly in large first-year science cohorts, can inadvertently privilege particular communication strengths while constraining others. In response, we designed a major science communication task in a first-year biology unit (~300 students) using a “Choose Your Own Assessment” (CYOA) model grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL 3.0).

This presentation shares the design and evaluation of this group assessment which is implemented in a University of Sydney unit. Working in small groups, students make a series of structured choices, including their teammates, disease content, pharmaceutical context, and the format of their science communication task (poster, pamphlet, podcast, recorded presentation, video, or storybook). While these choices vary, all students address common learning outcomes and are assessed using a shared rubric focused on scientific accuracy, communication, engagement, and audience awareness. Scaffolded milestones and marker calibration support consistency and equity across assessment formats.

Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL 3.0), the assessment positions student choice as a deliberate design feature rather than an accommodation. Evaluation through questionnaires, interviews, and unit feedback suggests students value the opportunity to exercise agency, express creativity, and take ownership of their learning, while academic performance remains comparable across assessment formats.

This presentation will reflect on the practical considerations of implementing structured assessment choice at scale and explore how intentionally designed flexibility can amplify student voice and engagement without compromising academic standards.