learning and teaching

Assessment in the studio

Hilaire Graham

Dean Learning and Teaching

learning and teaching

Theories of assessment:

• Purposes of assessment: why assess?– Enhancing student learning– Measuring student achievement

(Light p170)

• linking teaching and assessment by a concept of educational quality

(Ramsden p178)

learning and teaching

• Assessing in the studio:– Implicit practices– Initial assessment– Continuous process– Making assessment more explicit and

transparent

learning and teaching

• Implicit practices– Assumptions about assessment

learning and teaching

• Describe common assessment practices in your studio…….as gathered in the discussion:– The crit (wall crits/ post it reviews/ anonymous

voting)– Online wiki (students map evidence ot LO’s)– Verbal presentations (seminar) – use of a checklist– learning journals– Peer assessment and group assessment– Written reports– Research portfolio– Performance (develop and execute)– Reflective reviews– Q and A session

learning and teaching

• ……..and in the sector:– FE– HE

(see Bloxham and Boyd 2008 p205)

learning and teaching

• Initial assessment– Initially

• What happens when you meet a new group of learners: teacher/student/syllabus……

• Student starting points of ability……• What assumptions are we as staff making about

the cohort and the individuals in the cohort• How do we challenge students to go beyond their

expectations

learning and teaching

• Formative assessment: – is where the purpose is to get an estimate of

achievement which is used to help in the learning process (Light p170)

• Summative assessment: – is assessment which produces a measure

which sums up someone’s achievement and which has no other real use except as a description of what has been achieved (Light p170)

learning and teaching

• Continuous process– From day 1, formatively,– During a session, in conversation….– Via work in progress…..– Crits….– To summative assessment

learning and teaching

• Formal assessment – takes place when it counts towards a

qualification (Hillier p 168)

• Informal assessment – takes place all the time and provides

information to you when you go about planning future sessions and activities (Hillier p168)

learning and teaching

• What are we assessing in the studio?• [from the discussion]:

– Curiousity about everything– Subject knowledge (know how)– Process (product v. presentation)– Interpretations, passion, lateral thinking,

criticality– Engagement, intention and outcome– Staff expectations (standards?)– Creativity, risk-taking, motivation

learning and teaching

Constructive alignment:• design the learning methods before the

assessment tasks OR • focus on assessment first to ensure that learning

methods align well with assessment • design assessment tasks so that learners can

demonstrate if they have met the learning outcomes

• it should be possible to trace the learning from aims, through outcomes to assessment and grading

learning and teaching

Assessment for learning:

• Involves a two way dialogue between student and teacher– Listening to the other– Using what is said to inform the learning

process

(Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall, William 2008)

learning and teaching

• Making assessment more explicit and transparent– Feedback about…..– Feedback with reference to….

• Outcomes • Assessment requirements, and• Criteria

learning and teaching

Feedback:– Timely– Written/verbal– Amount– Encouraging– Style

learning and teaching

• How can we enhance our assessment and feedback practice in the studio…….?

– Listen to the students– Let students set criteria…

learning and teaching

• Summary– Discussion about our values underpinning

‘implicit’ judgements– The idea of initial assessment– A continuous process of assessment– Making assessment transparent and explicit

learning and teaching

• Outcome– Reflection on your own/team practice in

assessment in the studio– Awareness of distinctive practice of

assessment in creative arts

Thank you!

learning and teaching

Bibliography

• Black, P, Harrison, C, Lee, C, Marshall,B, and William, D (2008) Assessment for Learning, Open University Press, Maidenhead

• Bloxham, S and Boyd, P (2007) Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education, Open University Press, Maidenhead

• Hillier, Y. (2005) Reflective Teaching in Further and Adult Education. Continuum, London

• Light, G. and Cox, R. (2001) Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Sage, London

• Ramsden, P. (2003) Learning to Teach in Higher Education, 2nd edition, RoutledgeFalmer, London (electronic version available via Ebrary)