Transparent Assessments

Are you ready to level up your teaching game and promote equity in your classroom? Introducing Transparent Assignment Design (or TAD for short)! This powerful, yet easy to implement, framework not only makes your assignments crystal clear but also ensures inclusivity and fairness. By providing clear expectations and support, TAD helps level the playing field and gives every student a chance to shine. 

I have personally found that redesigning assignments using the TAD framework has led to (Mills, M.L. (formerly Rosen, M.L.) et al., 2022):

• improved quality of student submissions
• reduced requests for regrades
• reduced late submissions
• reduced student frustration

An assignment that utilizes the TAD framework includes three important sections:

1. Purpose - an explanation on how the knowledge and skills used in this activity are relevant to a student and their future.
2. Task - a detailed explanation of the steps a student needs to take to complete the assignment.
3. Criteria - an explanation for how student's submission of the assignment will be evaluated.

In the next set of articles in this playlist, we will expand on each of these sections by describing what a good Purpose, Task, and Criteria looks like. At the end of the playlist we will provide with a template to get you started.

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Resources:

• TILT Higher Ed Examples and Resources
• Transparent Assignment Design | Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (northeastern.edu)
• Quick Guide to Transparent Assignment Design (wsu.edu)