Julia K. Gleich
Head of Choreography (London Studio Centre)
Head of Choreography (London Studio Centre)
London Studio Centre’s shared their institution development
of their Learning & Teaching Strategy 2013-18 focussing on assessment and
feedback. The nature of practice at LSC makes use of intense continuous,
day-to-day formative feedback by both tutors and peers, which accounts for unusual learning experience in HE. Addressing the high frequency of assessment and feedback is at centre of LSC’s culture of quality enhancement and review of assessment strategies that have led to significant successes in the National Student Survey.
The institution has reviewed strategies associated with developing
effective feedback and assessment that include ways of creatively assessing
creativity and identified points to consider in constructing effective
feedback.
Identified Issues related to creative assessment:
·
How to “prepare for assessment” in a context of
creativity
·
Prior learning
·
Tick-boxing / Goal-oriented-ness
·
Subjectivity
·
House styles
·
New ideas and risk-taking
The staff
at LSC also recognize that Assessment Literacy is a double-edged sword and if
students are too focused on assessment, they will be unwilling to take risks
and discover their own voices in a creative environment. In addition, Assessment
tasks and criteria must be designed to reward even “inappropriate” choices as
students re-invent themselves and develop new movement vocabularies, explore
compositional strategies and form their artistic identities.
Constructing
feedback
At LSC
feedback is provided taking into consideration the points below:
·
Specificity
·
Constructive comments
·
Appropriate language
·
Transparency – see example
below. If not clear from the starting point comments like “ student needs to be
more analytical” – are not clear.
·
Enabling and
encouraging/Positive but honest
·
Personal
The presentation also included seven principles of
good feedback practice From Dr Nicol and Debra Macfarlane-Dick below:
“good feedback practice should facilitate the development of
self-assessment (reflection) in learning, encourage dialogue, clarify what is
good performance, deliver quality information about the students learning,
provide information to teachers to shape learning and should be motivational
for the students and create positive self-esteem.”
Report by Betty Sinyinza, Educational Tehcnologist, Centre for Academic Practice Enhancement (CAPE)
