Developing inclusive assessment practices within higher education : An indigenist perspective

Westernised and generic models of learning and assessment design are adding to the educational inequity for First Nations Peoples in Australia. This chapter contributes to the literature on why decolonising in the academy is slow and tedious and why assessment is still not structured to be inclusive of Indigenous pedagogies in Australia. Philosophically privileging First Nations approaches is holistic and a necessary act of decolonisation, de-westernisation, and reconciliation. Re-Indigenising content and curriculum is an emerging global issue. As such, we suggest some first steps forwards not only for Australia but globally. Decolonising curriculum – including assessment – is a global issue, thus our work has resonance in the global space. Further, we acknowledge there is more to be done by academics, education developers, and universities in designing principles and learning models incorporating Indigenous pedagogies in higher education.