Assessing learning and exchanging feedback
Contextual Background
For my final case study on Assessing learning and exchanging feedback, I will discuss a recent Formative Assessment Point (FAP) from the Year 1 BA Bags & Accessories ‘Creative Identity’ unit. Following the Briefing students research designer brands in their teams, compiling findings into a 15-page presentation, before finally presenting the brand to their peers. (University of the Arts London, 2023)
Above: Section of Scheme of work document from Week 19
Above: The five brands selected for the Teams
Evaluation:
Attendance – After thoroughly briefing teams and providing ample research time during taught sessions, I was confident in their presentation skills. To reduce attendance issues during FAP sessions, I scheduled morning and afternoon sessions, therefore reducing audience size and potentially easing nerves for presenters, encouraging more support from peers. However, students were invited and encouraged to attend all day if they wished as they would benefit much from seeing a variety of presentations. Overall this worked well and only one student was absent from the session.
Peer Feedback – This is also difficult to encourage in FAP sessions, but as the groups were smaller and the setting of the class was more informal than usual, students were more supportive of each other. Rather than judging one student, they are feeding back to a group, I believe this made it less intimidating to the students, and they were more willing to feedback.
Moving forwards:
I assume my pedagogic decisions are mostly influenced by my own experience of education; as a student, I used to enjoy listening to group feedback in FAP sessions and found the process very beneficial, as I would learn what your tutors require through their responses to my peers’ work and my work. However, due to the difficulties faced in student attendance and student engagement during FAP sessions, I must reevaluate the process. I will also read university guidelines and published papers to develop my methods.
(Carless, D & Winestone, N, 2019 p.2) “Whilst many aspects of the feedback process may rely on students’ engagement (e.g. the ability to interpret feedback, understanding the purpose of feedback, and willingness to expend effort to implement feedback), teachers can still decide how and where to embed the development of these skills into the curriculum”. This thought-provoking point made me question how I can secure students to engage more with the feedback, especially FAP feedback as this is often delivered during the project, not at the end, therefore if they implement the suggestions their final result should be better. As I read further I consider ways I could make the additional written feedback I send to all students following the session more digestible. I currently focus on ensuring personalised feedback on their presentation skills, and overall feedback on the presentation in the form of paragraphs. I suggest ways of developing the work presented in their presentation but within their sketchbook to elevate the final submission they will submit at the end of the project. I will consider breaking down the FAP form into a grid-like structure, and give direct feedback on each section of the presentation. Although this isn’t possible on the “Assessment Feedback portal” due to the format of the feedback, this document could be sent directly to the students.
Please see the example of what I propose below –
I hope students are more likely to develop on feedback if they hear it in person and also receive it in written format (like above). The table above will help them identify weak areas in the submission so they can develop areas to ensure a more complete summative submission.
This year we also decided to reduce the amount of FAP sessions to allow students to develop the work in between the sessions, and so no one FAP session carries too much weight, especially if a student misses a session. (University of Greenwich) I believe this too has helped and students see the value in the sessions.
Overall, I hope the amendments to the session will enable students to obtain better results in their Summative Assessment Point (SAP).
References
Carless, D & Winestone, N (2019) Designing Effective Feedback Processes in Higher Education: A Learning-Focused Approach (Research into Higher Education). 1st Edition. London: Routledge.
University of the Arts London (May 2023) Staff guide to the LCF Assessment Brief. Available at: https://artslondon.sharepoint.com/sites/craftacademicadmin/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2Fsites%2Fcraftacademicadmin%2FShared%20Documents%2FAssessment%20Brief%20Templates%2F23%2E24%2FStaff%20Guide%20to%20the%20LCF%20Assessment%20Brief%5FFINAL%202023%2Epdf&viewid=43509c77%2D5adf%2D46d1%2D82aa%2D4f55f0bc25d0&parent=%2Fsites%2Fcraftacademicadmin%2FShared%20Documents%2FAssessment%20Brief%20Templates%2F23%2E24&CT=1709828692851&OR=OWA%2DNT%2DMail&CID=1dac6ff2%2Dc8d1%2D3c24%2Dba6f%2D85fc3d760bdb (Accessed: 26/03/2024).
University of Greenwich (?) LEARNING AND TEACHING – Formative vs Summative. Available at: https://www.gre.ac.uk/learning-teaching/assessment/assessment/design/formative-vs-summative (Accessed: 26/03/2024).
Additional reading
Boud,D et al (2018) Developing Evaluative Judgement in Higher Education, Assessment for Knowing and Producing Quality Work. 1st Edition. Oxfordshire: Taylor & Francis.
Boud, D. and Molloy, E., 2013. Rethinking models of feedback for learning: the challenge of design. Assessment & Evaluation in higher education.
Sabri, D. University of the Arts London. Eliminating inequality in formative assessment. Available at: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/190153/AEM-Eliminating-Inequality-Formative-Assessment-PDF-288KB.pdf (Accessed: 26/03/2024).
Images of the student’s Presentations front covers–
Images of students presenting their work during the Presentation day.
