Assessments are one of your most powerful tools for measuring learning, but they also shape how students engage with your course. When every student completes the same task in the same way, you may miss opportunities to tap into their strengths, interests, and goals.
Adding student choice allows you to maintain rigorous expectations while giving students flexibility in how they demonstrate their learning. When done intentionally, this can increase motivation, improve engagement, and produce more meaningful work.
Steps for adding student choice
Before adding choice, clarify what you actually want students to demonstrate. Focus on the skill, not the format.
Ask yourself:
- What should students be able to do?
- Does the format matter, or just the outcome?
Example
Instead of requiring students to “write a persuasive essay,” revise the objective to “construct a persuasive argument.” This allows multiple ways to meet the same goal.
Once your objective is clear, provide a few structured options for how students can complete the assignment, but avoid unlimited choice. Instead, give 2–4 meaningful options that align with the same criteria.
Example
For a persuasive assignment, students might choose to:
- Write a traditional essay
- Record a persuasive speech
- Create a short video or presentation
- Design an infographic with supporting explanation
Each option demonstrates the same skill but allows students to work in a format that fits their strengths.
Add paragraph Student choice only works when expectations stay consistent across formats. Your instructions and rubric should clearly communicate what success looks like, regardless of how students choose to complete the assignment.
Focus your rubric on the core skills you are assessing, not the format students use. This ensures fairness and keeps grading consistent. In addition to these changes:
- Write assignment instructions that emphasize the outcome, not the format
- Use the same rubric for all submission types
- Define clear, observable criteria such as argument quality, use of evidence, and organization
- Ensure each performance level describes what success looks like across formats
Example
If students can submit either a video or a paper, your rubric might assess:
- strength of argument
- use of evidence
- clarity of communication
rather than format-specific elements like “paragraph structure” or “video editing quality” unless those are part of the objective.
Students may not know what quality looks like across different formats. Show them.
Example
- A sample essay you generated
- A short video example a previous student has given you permission to reuse
- A model infographic illustrated by AI
These help students understand expectations and make informed choices.
Students need guidance to make effective choices. Combine flexibility with structure so students stay on track and produce strong work.
You can:
- Ask students to briefly explain their chosen format and how it connects to their goals
- Provide a checklist or planning template to help them organize their work
- Require a short proposal or outline before the final submission
- Offer feedback on early ideas or drafts
Example
Before beginning a final project, students submit a short plan describing their chosen format, topic, and approach. You provide quick feedback to confirm they are meeting expectations before they continue.
This approach helps students make intentional decisions while ensuring their work stays aligned with course goals.
Student choice works best when it is structured, aligned, and purposeful. When you focus on what students need to learn and give them flexibility in how they show it, you create more engaging, relevant, and meaningful assessments.
