Lesson 3 – Inclusive Rigour
“If rigor is code for ‘some students deserve to be here, and some don’t,’ then it needs to go.” (Jack and Sathy, 2021)
Rather than suggesting a complete removal of the word “rigour” from our vocabulary, this module encourages you to rethink how you can use the skills from the strengths-based approaches outlined in the previous section to challenge the preconceived notions about rigour and to contribute to a classroom culture that believes that “students who have been admitted to your institution have already shown that they can meet high standards” (Jack & Sathy, 2021).
Holding high expectations is a cornerstone of strengths-based education that follows the IDEA principles outlined above. It means believing in every student’s capacity to succeed, while also acknowledging and supporting the different paths they may take to achieve success. In addition, “being explicit about high standards will not harm the students who do not need to hear it, but it can be valuable to students who may doubt their ability to succeed or distrust a system that reinforces negative stereotypes about their academic work” (Hogan & Sathy, 2022).
When thinking about high standards in a course and elements that make an assessment difficult, factors like complex content, time constraints, or the need for precision and accuracy are usually brought up. The concept of academic rigour—as a measure of how hard an assessment is, as well as the depth of thinking, application, and understanding it invites from learners—is often cited as a reason why an assessment cannot be more flexible, or focus only on skills, knowledge and experiences that have to be improved in order to succeed rather than building on existing skills from a strengths-based perspective.
Disrupting the Status Quo
Photo by Akshay Chauhan on Unsplash
Yet academic rigour is not a neutral concept; it is built upon norms and expectations that have historically privileged certain ways of knowing and demonstrating knowledge, often reinforcing systemic inequities.
Inclusive assessment enhances rigour by ensuring that all learners have equitable opportunities to demonstrate their mastery of essential skills. They hold students to high standards while removing barriers that may distort their ability to demonstrate what they know and can do.
When assessments are designed inclusively, they uphold academic standards while removing unnecessary barriers—creating a more accurate picture of what students truly know and can do. To design such assessments, we must critically examine and deconstruct these inherited standards and ask: whose knowledge is valued, and whose ways of learning are supported?
Inclusive Rigour emerges from this reflection—pairing high expectations with accessible, responsive assessment design. Inclusive rigour is the intentional design of learning experiences and assessments that uphold academic expectations while recognizing and accommodating the diverse ways students learn, communicate, and demonstrate understanding.
Using the information you have gathered so far, consider the following scenarios: what are some recommendations that you would offer your colleagues if they came to you for advice? After you explore each scenario, click on the “Recommendation” tab to see some options rooted in the principles we’ve discussed.
Scenario 1: A student is corrected for their pronunciation—twice.
You may consider using a strengths-based reframe such as, “Different accents reflect valuable experiences—let’s focus on the content first.” In that way, an instructor maintains high expectations for clear communication but removes punitive focus on language deficit. This recognizes that multilingualism is a strength in global and workplace contexts.
As Lambert et al. (2022) argue, “We can also learn to take an inclusive stance on the kinds of global Englishes our students speak, and to mark their written and spoken assessments on the strength of their ideas and ability to demonstrate the learning outcomes, and not for how much their syntax and descriptive language habits match our own.”
Scenario 2: One student is always the group note taker.
Here are three recommendations for this scenario:
- Rotate group roles (note taker, facilitator, timekeeper, presenter) so all students experience and develop a variety of skills.
- Incorporate accountability structures like a group contract or role log to ensure equitable participation.
- Offer a reflection component where students can discuss what they learned from each role to reinforce skill transfer.
The above recommendations promote high expectations for participation in multiple skill areas and recognize each student’s contribution while enhancing their competencies.
Scenario 3: Feeling that accommodations are unfair.
Reframe accommodations through inclusive rigour principles: extra time removes barriers, ensuring students meet the same high standards.
Further, you may want to engage in a reflective practice and think “Does this exam measure speed or mastery of the content?” If the answer is yes, consider ways in which you can focus the exams on application and critical thinking rather than speed.
Activity: Take a current assessment you’ve prepared for your class and unpack it using the principles above. Use the following guiding questions:
- Does this assessment give students the chance to draw on their strengths?
- Are students informed about assessment expectations early? Are the expectations clear, high, and achievable with appropriate support?
- Are examples, scenarios, or case studies used in your assessments representative of diverse backgrounds and cultures?
- Can students draw on their cultural or personal experiences in their assessments?
- Are grading policies and rubrics consistent and flexible, allowing for context without compromising fairness?
- Are clear rubrics, criteria, and instructions available to all students before the assessment begins?
Applying the principles of IDEA outlined above to assessments begins with a reflection on how your values, assumptions, and expectations as educators influence every decision you make about what and why you assess, as well as how you evaluate these assessments. These decisions send messages to your students about what is important in your discipline, who is valued in the classroom and who belongs, in the classroom and later in the workplace.
This reflection on our “hidden/invisible logics” that guide everything we do as instructors is an important aspect of teaching practice, not only regarding assessments, but for every aspect of our teaching (Ravitch, 2021).