NEON Working Group – Addressing Differential Outcomes for Diverse Learners

This working group serves to provide a space for addressing the challenges of establishing better outcomes for ethnically diverse learners in Higher Education and explores innovative approaches to developing good practice in this area by way of practical discussions, research/case study analysis, and peer support.

Workshop Title: Making assessment an inclusive practice

Thursday 12^th February 2026, 12.00 – 13.30 (online via MS Teams)

12.00-12.10 Welcome and Introductions (Karen Lipsedge, Kingston University, Chair)

12.10-12.40/50 Rachel Forsyth (Senior Educational Developer, Lund University, Sweden)

Workshop Summary:

In this workshop, we’ll look at the role of assessment as part of inclusive practice in higher education. Assessment design is often treated separately from teaching design, but if they are effectively integrated then assessment can be a powerful way of showing commitment to inclusion. A key element of inclusive practices is valuing what students bring with them, and allowing them to showcase this in their assignment demonstrates the teacher’s interest in them as individuals as well as giving students a chance to tell us about their strengths. A good assessment design also considers tacit assumptions about expectations and format. We will look at ways to make small and accessible changes to assessment which don’t create additional work, using examples from a range of subjects.

12.40-13.00 Breakout groups

The breakout session provides colleagues with the opportunity to come together to discuss the project and how they could incorporate and develop the strategies provided at their institution. In your discussions, please consider the following:

Using an example from your group, you will think about how you can apply some of the ideas presented in the initial session and what the implications might be in your own contexts. What more would you like to know about? What constraints do you have which would need to be addressed?

13.00-13.15: Feedback and Q&A

13.15-13.30: AOB and next meeting

Short Biography

Rachel Forsyth is a senior educational developer at Lund University in Sweden and was previously head of the University Teaching Academy at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. She has a background in digital learning, inclusive curriculum design and assessment design and management. She is the author of Confident Assessment in Higher Education (Sage, 2022) and co-author of GenAI in Higher Education: Redefining Teaching and Learning  (Bloomsbury, 2025). Rachel is also a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.