Assessment and Feedback

The last hour of the workshop is ample time to display the work and give feedback and critique the work and exercise.

How is this conducted is crucial in developing life skills in the students and a sense of belonging and community. Again important perhaps to pull chairs around in a circle without hierarchy. The work is placed in the middle. Thanking everyone who took part in the session and praising their effort is usually a good way for me to start. Just as the workshop the crit needs to be safe space.

I also begin by stating the importance of positive feedback and respect towards each other in giving feedback. Discussions can take place around these terms and include others. It would be mainly a peer to peer learning activity with myself only to probe a little deeper or inviting further discussion and self reflection.(Inventing Methods; The Happening of the Social Celia Lury and Nina Wakeford) It was important for me not to problem solve for them or to put myself in their work as is the case all too often in schools.

( https://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_do_schools_kill_creativity/comments )

 It is a space for articulating and developing confidence in preparation for presentations. The space allows for self assessment and it is important the the assessment criteria are understood by the students. Each descriptor can be read out in turn by the students and discussed in relation to the work, making sure they understand and know if they are working towards it. At the same time trying to make sure it doesn’t become a tick box exercise.

 ‘Constructive alignment starts with the notion that the learner constructs their own learning through relevant learning activities’ (Biggs 2003) However, ‘the right ingredients (process, messages and conditions) have to be in place for good outcomes’ ( O’Neill 2015).

The right ingredients have to be in place for any form of learning. In this case where the objective was to develop LO2, in light of no support or provision for materials in art school in order to experiment, it is important to reinforce the use of any materials available, empty cardboard boxes available outside shops for mock ups. There should be no assumption that the students know.

At the end it is useful to ask if the students enjoyed the process and did they know exactly what they would make from the moment the session started or was it a surprise at the end so understanding the importance of experiment.

References;

Art Crits -20 Questions a Pocket Guide, Q-Arthttps://theartofeducation.edu/2016/01/27/the-art-of-giving-meaningful-student-feedback/