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Universal Design Applied to Large Scale Assessments
Elements of Universally Designed Assessments
The elements of universally designed assessments discussed here were derived from a review of literature on universal design, assessment and instructional design, and research on topics such as assessment accommodations and student test taking. Many of these elements have been applied in various forms by test developers who are continually working on increasing assessment validity, and some reflect widely accepted principles in the field of measurement. According to the National Research Council (1999), "research and development in the field of educational testing is continually experimenting with new modes, formats, and technologies" (p. 202).
All of the elements identified here will undergo further refinement and development as they are addressed within assessment design. These elements are:
- Inclusive assessment population
- Precisely defined constructs
- Accessible, non-biased items
- Amenable to accommodations
- Simple, clear, and intuitive instructions and procedures
- Maximum readability and comprehensibility
- Maximum legibility
These elements flow from the principles of universal design originally proposed by the Center for Universal Design, although there is not a one-to-one correspondence and in some cases a principle is reflected in all of the elements. Some of the relationships between the principles and elements are shown in Table 2.
Table 2
Relationship Between Principles of Universal Design and Elements of Universally Designed Assessments
Universal Design Principle |
Elements of Universally Designed Assessments |
Equitable Use – design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. |
Reflected in all elements. |
Flexibility in Use – design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. |
Especially reflected in elements #1 (inclusive assessment population), #3 (accessible, non-biased items), #4 (amenable to accommodations), and #6 (maximum readability and comprehensibility). |
Simple and Intuitive Use – design is easy to understand, regardless of user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. |
Especially reflected in elements #5 (simple, clear, intuitive instructions and procedures), #6 (maximum readability and comprehensibility), and #7 (maximum legibility). |
Perceptible Information – design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities. |
Especially reflected in elements #4 (amenable to accommodations), #5 (simple, clear, intuitive instructions and procedures), and #7 (maximum legibility). |
Tolerance for Error – design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue. |
Reflected in elements #2 (precisely defined constructs) and #5 (simple, clear, intuitive instructions and procedures). |
Low Physical Effort – design can be used effieicntly and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue. |
Primarily reflected in element #7 (maximum legibility). |
Size and Space for Approach and Use – appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility. |
Primarily reflected in elements #4 (amenable to accommodations), and #7 (maximum legibility). |
Element #1. Inclusive Assessment Population
When assessments are first conceptualized, they need to be thought of in the context of the entire population of who will be assessed (AERA, APA, NCME, 1999; National Research Council, 1999). It is sometimes appropriate to limit the population to be included in a test (e.g., a placement test or a selection test), but this is not true for assessments designed for public educational accountability, or for measuring the performance of public schools or conferring benefits that should be generally available to all students. For those assessments, the target population needs to include every student. Assessments need to be responsive to growing demands – increased diversity, increased inclusion of all types of students in the general curriculum, and increased emphasis and commitment to serve and be accountable for all students.
The first principle of universal design (Center for Universal Design, 1997) requires equitable use. When applied to large scale assessment, this principle requires opportunities for the participation of all students, no matter what their cognitive abilities, cultural backgrounds, or linguistic backgrounds. Assessments need to measure the performance of students with a wide range of abilities and skill repertoires, ensuring that students with diverse learning needs receive opportunities to demonstrate competence on the same content.
This does not mean that standards should be relaxed or that contructs to be measured should be changed. Items on a universally-designed standards-based assessment must be aligned to the content and achievement standards with the same depth and breadth of coverage, and the same cognitive complexity as the standards specify. The emphasis can be on accessibility using different formats, technologies, and designs to include all students. It must be clear right from the beginning that in order to be equitable, assessments need to measure the achievement of all students on the same standards. In 1993, Algozzine argued that the principles of "full inclusion" be applied to assessment by avoiding practices that create separation among groups.
A clear implication of Element #1 is that field-tests should sample every type of student expected to participate in the final assessment administration, including students with a wide range of disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and students across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines. Checking field-test items with a broad range of students will not only help determine whether items are unclear, misleading, or inaccessible for certain groups of students, but will help assure that assessment procedures are applied to all students when the assessment is fully implemented. In order to develop solid item statistics, an additional important step in test development is the use of pilots to gain information about item functioning at a relatively small cost. Pilots should be used with subgroups of interest, to allow item refinement before proceeding to a field-test. This will also improve the likelihood that the items will survive a field-test.
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