Why has it taken so long to connect assessment and social justice in higher education?

On Wednesday 10 May, we will be joined on campus by Dr Jan McArthur for a talk on assessment and social justice in HE. 

Speaker bio:

Jan McArthur is Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Justice at Lancaster University. Her research interests span two themes: education and social justice, and the nature of higher education. Her recent work has looked at the nature of assessment and feedback, including the relationship between conceptions of failure and social justice. Her forthcoming book, Assessment for Social Justice, explores the potential to further social justice within and through HE assessment and draws on the critical theory of Axel Honneth.

Session abstract:

While there is a long history of connecting higher education assessment with fairness, the idea that assessment is a place where major social justice issues play out has only gained some prominence in the last few years.  The idea of assessment for social justice is now joined by that of assessment for inclusion and compassionate assessment.  The theoretical landscape of how and why assessment and social justice are connected within higher education is now reasonably well established.  What is less clear, unsurprisingly, is how this translates into changes in assessment practices and policies.  In this talk I will use this theme of the relationship between theory and practice, as understood through my own lens of critical theory, to explore the ways in which the principles of assessment for social justice can become part of our everyday practices, and how we can share with colleagues and students the imperative to understand assessment differently.

Booking:

To book a place at this session, please complete a copy of our CPD booking form. Please note that this session is taking place in person, on campus in York.