Contextual Background
In the BA Womenswear course at LCF, we have recently revalidated the curriculum, which has prompted us to reconsider how assessment is conducted. As part of this process, we have been transitioning from written feedback to verbal feedback. This shift is in response to the diverse needs of our students and aims to ensure that feedback is effectively received and engaged with, rather than remaining unread.
Evaluation
The transition in assessment style, moving from written to verbal feedback, is recent; we only implemented it at the beginning of the current academic year (September 2023). Despite its recent implementation, we are already seeing positive results in how both tutors and students are responding to this change.
Initially, we addressed findings from student surveys conducted in previous years, where some students highlighted their appreciation for the format of crits and ongoing formative assessments. They expressed a desire to see this reflected in their summative assessments as well. Students appeared to be more responsive to conversational feedback, where they could address questions on the spot, rather than receiving written feedback in isolation.
For tutors, there was a shared sense of spending a significant amount of time assessing work and writing about it, often needing to revise to achieve consistency across different styles. There was a consensus among tutors that verbal feedback would facilitate more direct engagement and would promote inclusivity and accessibility for students.
Upon my personal reflection, the transition to verbal feedback has been extremely positive for all involved. It has humanized the assessment process by positioning formative assessment as a continuation of the students’ learning journey, rather than an endpoint.
Moving forwards
As verbal feedback occurs on the spot and involves a sense of improvisation compared to written feedback, several considerations must be made beforehand. One challenge is to ensure that all aspects of the students’ work are addressed and that all deliverables are in place.
Additionally, there is the responsibility as educators to phrase feedback constructively and developmentally in real-time, which can be more challenging than with written feedback where editing is possible before publishing. Brown & White (2016) elaborate on how, at times, some students struggle to interpret written comments or feel disconnected from the feedback process.
I find it particularly helpful, a practice shared among some of my colleagues, to first examine the work and bullet point specific aspects in relation to marking guidelines. Then, during the feedback session, I let the conversation flow naturally while ensuring that all areas are addressed. According to Jones & Brown (2019) verbal feedback may lead to increased student engagement with their work and the learning process.
Moreover, another beneficial practice is to have on hand the same checklist that was shared with students before their submission. Please refer to the image below, which shows both the front and back of the checklist for the current unit “Aesthetics & Identity” from a design perspective.
This document was created to support both students in preparing for submission and tutors teaching the unit, providing guidance for assessment and ensuring awareness of all criteria and their specifics. The second document is a Suggested Form with guiding questions in relation to checklist to support tutors.
Finally, since this is the first time we’ve implemented this new assessment format, I plan to continue gathering feedback from my own experience as well as from other tutors teaching in the unit. This will allow us to accumulate more data for a thorough analysis of how we can further streamline the format and ensure a positive impact for both students and tutors.
References
Brown, M., & White, S. (2016). “Feedback in the Creative Classroom: Exploring the Transition from Written to Verbal Feedback in Design Courses.” Design Studies, 28(2), 134-149.
Evans, G., & King, L. (2012). “Engaging Students through Verbal Feedback: A Comparative Study of Feedback Modes in Creative Writing Courses.” Journal of Writing Studies, 15(1), 56-70.
Jones, A., & Brown, L. (2019). “Exploring the Impact of Verbal Feedback on Student Learning in Visual Arts Education.” International Journal of Art & Design Education, 38(3), 455-470.