Neil Currant’s lecture provided an insightful summary of research from UAL, Glasgow School of Art, and Leeds Art University into assessment practices in higher education, with a particular focus on creative courses.

The lecture challenged the assumption that there is fairness in assessment procedures. Neil explained that he had found evidence that rigid procedures could lead to or compound issues within social justice, as different people have different modes of learning, and assessments which are specifically linked to a graded system, may not always reflect a fair representation of where a student is at.

Something I found really interesting was a discussion on the hierarchical relationship between lecturers and students, which is seemingly reinforced during the assessment period. Someone in the group made an interesting point that learning might not necessarily come out during an assessment, but that it can be something that happens later on, or can be internalised without being demonstrated.”

Neil proposed that giving more responsibility to students and focusing on feedback rather than grades to enhance student learning could eliminate the issues of students “hoop scoring” or prioritizing grades and academic achievement over genuine learning, as this often takes over from conceptual thinking and risk-taking, which are two essential aspects of creative learning. There was also a brief discussion about going back to a pass/fail system, from the idea that grades hold too much importance for students and negatively affect the creative learning process.

As a technician, I don’t feel like I assess in a structured way as academics do, and I found this conversation really interesting. Assessment can be used to take account of learning and develop students work, but it is often used as a standardized system that fits into a culture of attainment, credit, and awards. However, in the workshop, a compassionate evaluation or feedback is the only style of assessment I ever make, and I always see students work improve either immediately, or over time as they start to value their skills more highly.

For me, the lecture raised some thought-provoking questions about assessment practices in higher education. It highlighted the need for assessment to be compassionate and responsive to the diverse modes of learning, and for students to be given more responsibility and focus on feedback rather than grades. It is essential to recognize the impact of assessment procedures on student learning and to adopt a more holistic approach to assessment that supports and fosters creativity, risk-taking, and conceptual thinking.