Background:
In the context of teaching a degree in Buying and Merchandising at UAL, I have found assessing learning and providing feedback for group presentations pose significant challenges. Often, students are required to work collaboratively on group projects, such as presentations, but are assessed individually. This situation raises questions about how to fairly evaluate individual contributions within a group context.
Evaluation:
Current strategies for addressing this challenge involve implementing peer assessment alongside individual grading through group work logs. Students are asked to evaluate their peers’ contributions based on predefined criteria. While this approach aims to provide a more comprehensive assessment, challenges remain in ensuring the accuracy and fairness of peer evaluations (Atkinson, 2021). Additionally, students may struggle with providing constructive feedback to their peers, leading to potential biases or inaccuracies in the assessment process.
Moving Forward:
Exploring alternative strategies, several practices have emerged that may enhance the assessment and feedback process for group presentations:
- 360-Degree Feedback: Introducing a 360-degree feedback system where students receive feedback not only from their peers but also from the tutor and self-assessment. This approach provides a more holistic view of individual performance within the group, allowing for a more accurate assessment. (Carless, 2015). However, to enhance this further and make less intimidating this could be done in pairs or through anonymous feedback using for example, post it notes.
- Clear Role Definition: Clearly defining roles and responsibilities for each student within the group can help mitigate issues of unequal workload distribution. By outlining specific expectations, students can better understand how their contributions will be evaluated.
- Feedback Workshops: Conducting workshops on effective feedback techniques can help students develop the skills needed to provide constructive feedback to their peers. By offering guidance on how to give and receive feedback, students can improve the quality and usefulness of their evaluations. (Sherwood, 2022)
- Individual Reflection: Encouraging students to reflect individually on their contributions to the group project can provide valuable insights into their own performance. Reflective statements or self-assessment exercises can help students identify areas for improvement and take ownership of their learning. (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006)
Implementing these strategies requires careful planning and consideration of student needs and preferences. As well as the consideration of how these fit in with assessment timings as identified in ‘Assessment Patterns’ (Russell, 2010). By incorporating all elements of 360-degree feedback, clear role definition, feedback workshops, and individual reflection, it will be possible to create a more robust assessment and feedback process for group presentations marked with and Individual contributions.
Conclusion:
Through experimentation with this range of strategies, successes and limitations can been observed. While 360-degree feedback and clear role definition may improve the accuracy of individual assessments, challenges remain in ensuring consistency and fairness in peer evaluations. Moving forward, a continued focus on refining and adapting these practices based on student feedback and reflection will be essential. This reflection will influence my future practice by informing ongoing efforts to enhance the assessment and feedback process for group presentations in Higher Education at UAL.
References:
Atkinson, K (2021). Inclusive Group Work. Student Disability Support, UAL.
Carless, D. (2015). Excellence in University Assessment: Learning from Award-Winning Practice. Routledge.
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.
Russell, M (2010). Assessment Patterns, University of Hertfordshire.
Sherwood, C (2022). Crits and Inclusive learning at UAL.