Designing Equitable Feedback Loops
Redesigning assessment systems to empower diverse learners through transparency, reflection, and trust
CONTEXT
In my World History classes, I faced a major instructional challenge: student knowledge and writing skills varied widely based on prior educational experiences. Some students came into my classroom with AP-level historical thinking skills while others had limited to no experience with academic writing.
I wanted to better understand and support these diverse learners, ensuring that every student felt appropriately challenged and had the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their starting point.
GOALS
How can I use formative assessments to:
Improve advanced students’ ability to grow through greater challenge?
Support struggling students' success through targeted scaffolding?
Increase student engagement, agency, and ownership over learning?
PROBLEM
Without intentional formative assessments, I was either re-teaching content or providing inadequate support. I needed a better system for assessing student needs, adapting instruction, and designing differentiated learning experiences that supported both equity and challenge.
PROCESS
Research and Standards Alignment
Consulted California literacy standards as well as internal department goals.
Focused on building skills in historical writing and evidence-based argumentation.
Designing Differentiated Formative Assessments
Created two tailored surveys (via Google Forms):
One for confident writers seeking advanced challenges.
One for students seeking additional support with historical writing.
Surveys assessed prior content knowledge, writing confidence, and skill needs.
Student-Centered Choice
Students self-selected the survey that matched their own learning needs.
Survey data guided creation of two final project options:
A traditional argumentative essay
A research-driven open-ended essay
Sharing Data Transparently
Reviewed anonymized survey results with students to foster collaboration and self-awareness.
Built unit lessons around the common needs students identified.
Collaborative Workshops
Designed and facilitated a 4-station writing workshop targeting key challenges:
Thesis writing
Citing evidence
Peer review
Sustained writing support
Collected student feedback through a second reflection survey.
OUTCOMES
Increased engagement: Students appreciated the opportunity to provide input and saw their feedback directly shape instruction.
Equitable growth: Most students achieved or exceeded grade-level writing standards, demonstrating gains in both content mastery and writing confidence.
Peer learning: Structured collaboration during workshops allowed students to reflect on their writing and strengthen skills together.
Data-driven differentiation: Survey responses led to adjustments in content pacing and focus, particularly benefiting historically marginalized learners.
REFLECTION
This project reinforced the power of user-centered formative assessment to identify hidden needs, support equity, and drive intentional design decisions.
Creating differentiated pathways based on student feedback built trust, clarity, and agency, all principles critical to ethical experience design in any field.