Little things mean a lot: Language, assessment and 21st century learners in Australian universities

The student population in Australian universities has changed significantly over the last decade, notably in the increased number of international students, many of whom do not have English as a first language. Assessment is crucial to encouraging and evaluating the achievement of university students, and the language that is used in framing assessment should be enabling and inclusive. In this paper, I discuss some aspects of language used in assessment items, which may make interpretation and fulfilment of assessment requirements problematic, especially for international students and those whose first language is not English. Based on a consideration of theories of language, ideology and power, and an analysis of the language used in assessment requirements distributed to students at Central Queensland University, I suggest the need for cultural awareness in the authoring and development of course materials to provide students with equitable access to successful achievement of course requirements.