Inclusive Course Assessment in "Business Law" Courses: Tempering the Exam and Assessment Alternatives.

This article focuses on inclusive course assessment practices in higher education, particularly within undergraduate Business Law programs, emphasizing the need to accommodate diverse student learning needs. It reviews the limited empirical research on inclusive assessment and highlights frameworks such as Universal Design for Instruction (UDI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that advocate for flexible, equitable, and varied assessment methods. The article presents data from Texas public universities showing a predominant reliance on exams in Business Law courses, with a gradual increase in alternative assessments like projects and presentations over time. To address inclusivity, it describes four practical, varied assessments— a legal scavenger hunt, a business entity formation memo, a Supreme Court case analysis, and a current event presentation—designed to engage different learning styles and reduce barriers associated with traditional exams. The conclusion calls for faculty to critically reflect on and adapt their assessment strategies to better serve diverse learners while maintaining academic standards.