Supporting Indigenous Students through a Culturally Relevant Assessment Model Based on the Medicine Wheel

Abstract

We describe the development of a student assessment model based on the medicinewheel for implementation in the Child Welfare course (FCC 240) as part of the Familyand Community Counselling Program at the Native Education College (NEC), a pri­vate Aboriginal post-secondary institution in Vancouver, BC. We discuss the processof developing the model from our own social locations: Roselynn is a female Caucasianinstructor with European and Indonesian heritage; Jair is a male adult learner withMestizo/Indigenous heritage from South America; and Ashley is a female Indigenouslearner with Wet'sewet'en Carrier heritage. Drawing from theory on culturally rele­vant assessment, we present an assessment model that privileges students' many waysof knowing in the context of a course on child welfare. The framework for assessingstudents takes into account the institutional aims and objectives of NEC, the specificcourse goals and learning objectives of FCC 240, and supports the diverse perspectivesand experiences of the Indigenous learners who are studying to be social workers. Byemphasizing these perspectives, the students can focus on their strengths as Indigenousyouth, make their learning more meaningful, and place learning within a context thatmay be more culturally relevant.