Help shape the future of assessments at Imperial

New project to explore the impact of assessments on Neurodivergent students.

A new student and staff collaborative project funded by Imperial's Learning and Teaching strategy Pedagogy Transformation Fund is planning to study the impact of assessments on Neurodivergent students and develop resources to make assessments more inclusive. 

This project is now recruiting 16 enthusiastic and motivated neurodivergent students to help shape the future of assessments at Imperial. 

The project involves a collaborative team which includes members of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Educational Development Unit, ABLE network, Disability Advisory Services and Digital Media Lab as well as Neurodivergent students.   

Project significance and anticipated impact

Assessment serves as a measure of student achievement against defined learning outcomes, providing valuable data for both students and educators. Traditional assessment methods often do not provide the full picture of student learning, particularly for neurodivergent students.

After interviewing several neurodivergent students as part of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Inclusion and Diversity funded project on Neurodiversity, Dr Vijesh Bhute, Department of Chemical Engineering's Senior Teaching Fellow, and project co-lead, observed that accommodations are not available for all types of assessments and where available, only benefit those who have received diagnoses.

Dr Bhute said: "Due to lack of awareness and operational challenges, not all neurodivergent students seek or receive the diagnosis and relevant accommodations in a timely manner which can potentially have negative effects on their performance and wellbeing."

Through my teaching and student support duties with the Department of Chemical Engineering I have seen how positively impactful focused support can be on a neurodivergent student's academic career. Dr Chloe Armour Research Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering

Team member, Dr Chloe Armour, stated the following about the potential impact on students: “Through my teaching and student support duties with the Department of Chemical Engineering I have seen how positively impactful focused support can be on a neurodivergent student's academic career. I am hugely excited by this project which now gives us the opportunity to impact and improve assessment experiences for all neurodivergent students, including those who may not seek support but would greatly benefit from it.”

Anastasia Teck (Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering) and one of the project members, shared her experiences in improving inclusivity of assessment: "There is a misconception that instructors need to make major changes to improve accessibility and inclusivity. From my experience of both learning and teaching at Imperial, I have found that minor changes in guidance and support, such as easily accessible resources and inclusive phrasing of tasks, can significantly improve the learning experience for everyone and eases the workload of instructors in the long term."

There is a misconception that instructors need to make major changes to improve accessibility and inclusivity. Anastasia Teck Researcher, Department of Chemical Engineering

This project will utilise Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create resources which will empower staff to design inclusive assessment practices.

These assessment approaches will further empower students with different neurotypes  and has the potential to reduce their stress and overall workload. This project will link with the Anatomy of Assessment project and include student voices on various types of assessments used across Imperial.

Get involved  

Find out more about the Student Shapers project. 

Submit your expression of interest and select "Shaping the Future of Assessment at Imperial" project from the list of projects.

For any questions, contact Dr Vijesh Bhute, Senior Teaching Fellow, Chemical Engineering Department.