Authentic Assessments through the Lenses of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice in a Fully Online Course

Abstract

The social isolation resulting from the 2020 global pandemic posed both challenges and opportunities in higher education. One of the greatest opportunities has been the chance to foreground the dimensions of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). As online course enrollments in postsecondary programs increase, educators, researchers, and learning design practitioners need to identify strategies to implement an inclusive learning environment in online learning programs. The purpose of this article is to describe how we, learning designers, conceptualized the DEIJ dimensions and reflected them in our design decisions with the use of technology. Using the DEIJ lenses, we focus on the design of authentic assessments with the use of technology, such as available features within the Canvas learning management system and external tools.