Feedback sheets as a form of assessment to support learning

Assessment has been a problem area in the School of Design for a long time. Issues include: the diversity of things to be addressed, the degree of precision that is possible/desirable, the amount of time that can/should be devoted to assessment, questions of subjectivity and objectivity, fairness, competition and cooperation and the contribution that assessment, as a form of feedback, can make to the learning process. Following our recent programme review, and in the context of Quality Assurance, the School had prepared a strategic plan with the help of an external facilitator. A high priority has been given to the development of standard assessment processes. This task has been undertaken by a team of staff and students. Of all the systems used in the school the ones which seem most promising are those based on feedback sheets. These sheets list all the criteria relevant for a given project. A student's performance according to each criterion in recorded on a scale. It is then possible to derive from these records an overall grade or mark for each student. Team members are looking at variations on the theme of feedback sheets and preparing an inventory of criteria. Our underlying objective is establishment of a process which is manageable while being clearly focussed on support for learning. We will present our conclusions at the Forum and are looking forward to feedback which may help us finalise our proposals for adoption by the School