Contextual Background:
In third year on BA illustration there are interim presentations within tutor groups as a formative assessment point during the Critical Practice Project (Unit 9). These sessions aim to embody a professional presentation of students work. The challenge of this activity is the reliance on the engagement and responsivity of the students to provide group feedback through peer and tutor discussion in a situation more closely related to a real world context.
Evaluation:
Current strategies to provide students with a diverse range of feedback through enabling group discussion include:
- Pairing the students and tutor of two tutor groups to broaden feedback for group discussion. This is effective in providing different types of feedback and encourages differing views as constructive and authentic, particularly with the second tutor present. Encouraging a greater number of student perspectives could be addressed moving forwards.
- Students provide feedback to the presenting student directly, or as a result of the exchange of views amongst the students. This is effective amongst students who have greater confidence speaking up but less so amongst quieter students.
- Presentation to be approached in a professional manner by students with pre-prepared material such as a PDF slideshow.
Challenges to address that arise from the above include:
- A reluctance or fear to contribute, lack of engagement or confidence in giving feedback
- Students not attending
- Tutor feedback dominates when students leave silent gaps
Moving forwards:
In third year, I think it is important to incorporate ‘authentic assessment’ in group situations when learning is assessed ‘through ‘real world’ tasks requiring students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in meaningful contexts’ (Swaffield, 2011). A Briefing on Self, Peer and Group Assessment supports the idea of group-based assessment being more ‘closely connected to real-life vocational situations’ (Race, 2001) and is further emphasised by the following quote, ‘In their careers beyond university, most students are going to be required to be able to work in groups or teams, and student group work is a valuable training ground.’ (Race, 2001)
After reading the QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project Belonging Through Assessment: Pipelines of Compassion I also want to include forms of compassionate feedback. As Paulo Freire said, ’Education is an act of love’ (Freire, 1974)
I can address the above in my approach to group assessment by:
- encouraging compassionate feedback amongst groups of students to promote the kindness of providing feedback for peers and treat each other as equals in a way that is more closely related to how feedback is exchanged in a ‘real world’ context.
- Equip students with the assessment criteria during group assessments, to prepare and support students both giving and receiving feedback in ‘real world’ contexts:
It can be particularly useful to get students to self-assess their own presentations, using the criteria that are concurrently being used to peer-assess them. This can cause students to reflect quite deeply on what they think are the strengths and weaknesses of their approach and performance. (Race, 2001)
- Create time and space for students to reflect on their feedback before verbal contribution by providing materials with set questions and prompts that can be written down. This can then be transferred to the presenting student.
- Ask students to note-take for each other whilst discussion is being held to embody a sense of social responsibly.
- Allow silences in discussion to be filled with student contribution, stepping back tutor intervention with prompts.
- Develop activities where students can work in groups or teams that resemble a ‘real-world’ context, such as the different group roles required for their interim and degree shows.
I have already started taking this strategy forward in group tutorials and workshops by:
- Creating a sheet that students can fill out to both self and peer assess.
- This was successful in gathering feedback from everyone in the group, including students who frequently remain silent or unengaged.
- Occasionally written feedback was minimal, which may be a result of writing not being as accessible for some students. I will address how to make this more inclusive moving forwards.
- A session was created for students to identify which groups they will be part of for the degree show to encourage a team working experience for an external context.