Planning for compassionate assessments

Sample Answer

Planning for Compassionate Assessments 💖

Planning for compassionate assessments means designing evaluation methods and environments that prioritize the student's well-being and context while still accurately measuring learning. It acknowledges that students are whole individuals whose performance can be significantly affected by stress, personal circumstances, and the assessment process itself.

Key Principles and Components

Compassionate assessment planning focuses on flexibility, fairness, and clarity to reduce anxiety and create a more equitable evaluation experience:

or alternative submission windows when a student faces genuine personal hardship (with appropriate documentation).

Use chunking—breaking large assessments into smaller, manageable parts—to reduce the cognitive load and "all-or-nothing" pressure.

Transparency and Clarity:

Provide detailed rubrics and clear expectations before the assessment is conducted. Students should know exactly what skills and knowledge are being measured and how they will be scored.

Clearly articulate the purpose of the assessment (formative vs. summative) and how it fits into the overall learning goals.

Offer practice opportunities or low-stakes quizzes so students can familiarize themselves with the format and content before the high-stakes test.

Focus on Learning, Not Punishment:

Prioritize feedback that is constructive and focused on future improvement rather than just assigning a grade.

Use low-stakes or formative assessments liberally to allow students to learn from mistakes without severely penalizing their final grade.

Allow for revisions or reassessment opportunities to demonstrate mastery after receiving feedback.