AssessmentIn education, the term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill... in artArt refers to a diverse range of human intellectual and expressive activities and the outcomes of those activities. Within this context art is further defined..., craftCraft can be designed as intelligent making. It is technically, materially and culturally informed. Craft is the designing and hand making of individual objects and... and designDesign shapes ideas to become practical solutions and propositions for customers and users. Design is all around us, everything man made has been designed. The... has two principal functions in the support of marking, reporting and feedback.
Firstly, it involves evaluating and makingThe process of making or producing something. The making of meaning is a decisively integral component of art-making. Meaning-making in relation to the creation of... a judgement of learners’ knowledgeFacts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject., understanding, skillsTechniques and attributes acquired through learning, engagement and practice, creativeBeing creative or 'creativity' relates to or involves the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something. and artistic development from within a periodA specific historic time and context of an art, craft or design form of learning i.e. project, unit of work, or by a point in the term or year.
This will be evaluated using age-related criteria, typically set out within a national or regional ‘standard’.
This judgment best describes summative assessment, which is typically made at the end of a project, unit of study, end of term, end of year or for the purpose of feedback to students and parents e.g. annual subject report.
This is perceived as objectivenot influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts., but as identified earlier, it will inevitably be somewhat subjectiveBased on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions., because there are no right or wrong answers and we cannot separate the personal taste and views of the assessor from the assessment.
There are three points of clarification to note:
- By the ‘standard’ we mean the evidence of learning visible in the quality of the work. In art and design, we evaluate the evidence of the learning processA series of actions, changes or operations performed in the making or creating of a product or outcomes. The procedures that one goes through in... and the outcome, using both to inform an assessment of the standard (expressed as a grade, level, standard statement, or alpha-numerical mark). Such a standard is usually ‘norm-referenced', although with criteria to clarify and more clearly define the expected norm.
- Any national or regional ‘standard’ may or may not include visual exemplars, with art educator and student notes to exemplify the objectivity of the standard criteria to support teachers’ best and most accurate assessment practice. In England, for example, Ofsted references a ‘national standard’ in schools and teachers are expected to know what the standard is for each year group at any point in time and in the context of any medium, process and technique.
- Examinations or formal assessments also function in this way and result in a mark, grade or statement.
- These assessments tend to be gathered at key points in the year and recorded on data-tracking systemsA set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole to record, monitor and report standards for subject leader, lineLines are used by artists and designers to describe objects, add detail or create expression. Lines define an artwork and reveal the artist’s techniques. Line... managers and senior leader’s oversight.
- It is always helpful for primary teachers to participate in local discussions about standards to support their confidence and accuracy in understanding assessment standards. As subject specialistsSubject specialists - also referred to as subject-matter experts (SME) - is a person who has accumulated great knowledge in a particular field or topic and..., secondary department teams internally agree on their standards annually, through internal moderationInternal moderation is the process by which a centre regularly samples and evaluates its assessment practices and decisions, and acts on the findings to ensure consistency..., using GCSE, National 5 or other national examination standards as reference points.
Secondly, the most important purpose of assessment is to ascertain what progressIn education, progress refers to a student's grasp of essential knowledge and educational skills. In the past, a student was considered to be progressing if they... has been made by each student and the group/class and cohort.
This is important because progress feedback is formative, helping individual learnersA learner is an individual who is willing to learn and understand new things. Learning is a process of understanding and acquiring knowledge of new... take action to improve, in good time and make better progress.
Art educators find this essential in enabling them to oversee and track the quality of learning and the impact (progress) their teaching is having.
Overall, these purposes provide art educators with information that will enable more effective planning and provide learners with information in the formForm refers to three dimensional objects. While shapes have two dimensions (height and width), forms have three dimensions (height, width and depth). The overall unity... of feedback. These principles can be applied to both formative and summative assessments.
Types of Assessment
- Diagnostic Assessment is an evaluation method used at the beginning of instruction to assess students' prior knowledge, skills, and understanding of a particular subject. It aims to identify students' strengths, weaknesses, and knowledge gaps, providing educators with valuable insights to tailor instruction and address individual learning needs effectively. The primary purpose of diagnostic assessment is to establish a baseline understanding of students' starting points, guiding educators in planning targeted interventions and differentiated instruction.
- Formative Assessment is an ongoing and continuous process used by art educators to monitor students' learning, their progress and understanding during instruction. It involves gathering real-time feedback through various methods. The primary goal of formative assessment is to identify students' strengths and weaknesses, inform instructional decisions, and support their learning journeys.
- Self-Assessment of Progress (Ipsative) is a self-referenced evaluation approach that focuses on comparing an individual's current performance to their previous achievements or benchmarks. It emphasises an individual's progress and improvement over time rather than comparing their performance to external standards or others. The primary purpose of ipsative assessment is to encourage self-awareness, self-reflection, and personal growth, allowing individuals to set goals, track their development, and enhance their performance based on their unique journey.
- Summative Assessment is an evaluation method used to measure students' overall learning outcomesLearning outcomes are descriptions of the specific knowledge, skills, or expertise that the learner will get from a learning activity, such as a training session, seminar,... and achievement at the end of a specific period, such as a unit, term, or course. Unlike formative assessment, which occurs during instruction, summative assessment provides a final judgment of student performance and is typically used for grading and making decisions about their progress or readiness for advancement. It aims to determine the extent to which students have achieved the learning objectives and content covered during the instructional period.
Types of Assessment:
- Diagnostic Assessment
- Formative Assessment
- Ipsative Assessment
- Summative Assessment
Assessment can be used to:
- Support Learning
- Mark Progress
- Reporting
- Feedback
- Developing Learning Habits and Behaviours
- Promote Creativity
- Aspects
- Supporting Creative HabitsThere are some common habits of creatives that we can all use: • Indulge curiosity • Embrace failure • Take notes • Network for effect... of Mind
- Improve Outcomes
- Improving Understanding
- Improve Progress
Assessment in art and design involves evaluating and measuring students' understanding, skills, creativityCreativity is a characteristic of someone or some process that forms something new and valuable. The created item may be intangible or a physical object...., and artistic development within the field of art and design.
It aims to assess students' ability to analyse, interpret, and create visual representations while considering aesthetic principles, techniquesA procedure, formula or routine by which an outcome or artwork is achieved, to include weaving thread into cloth with a darning needle, carving wood..., skills, conceptual development, and historical context.
The specific assessment criteria may vary depending on the educational institution, grade level, or course requirements.
The most common purpose of assessment is to ascertain what progress has been made.
However, it also provides teachers with information that will enable more effective planning and provides learners with information in the form of feedback.
It is important to note that art and design is a subjective field, and assessment in art and design often involves a combination of objective criteria and subjective judgment.
The goal is to provide students with feedback that supports their artistic growth, encourages experimentation, and helps them develop their artistic voiceYour voice is a unique and recognisable artistic style that is distinctly your own; your inspiration, your materials, techniques, themes and colour palette all working....
- Diagnostic assessment is important for learning in art and design.
- Formative and summative assessments are both necessary to monitor progress, to identify help for learners, and to inform further teaching and learning.
- Self-assessment (ipsative) is particularly relevant in the disciplineA specific way, a set of procedures and techniques for a specific activity e.g. the discipline of drawing embraces perspective, figure and conceptual ways of... of art and design where work can take many iterations before reaching the outcome or solution. It enables learners to review, modify and improve their work independently.
- Peer assessment is a useful technique for learners to learn from one another; for learners to articulate their ideas verbally to others, and for learners to gain additional perspective through listening to their peers’ thoughts about their work.
References
- See the Big Landscape 'How' Block titled Student Experience (teacher plan, prepare and deliver) here
- See NSEAD’s Assessment and Progression here
- See NSEAD Developing objective-led lessons here
- See NSEAD Assessment statements KS1-4 here
- See NSEAD Effective Assessment here
- An example of Peer Assessment here
