Contextual Background
As a Curriculum Developer, I observed the Creative Union unit at CSM, an undergraduate collaborative and interdisciplinary unit. A key challenge in this 20-credit unit is the heavy assessment load, which includes both product and process assessments (Anon, n.d). Additionally, the emphasis of assessment on the final project often overshadows the assessment of students’ collaboration skills, such as ethics, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
Evaluation
Assessment in this unit is holistic, combining product assessment (final film) with process assessment (reflective journal). However, the journal often becomes performative rather than reflective tool, with students treating it as a graded task rather than a space for genuine reflection about collaborative process. This shifts the journal from being a formative tool that supports learning and development to a summative assessment, reinforcing the emphasis on the final product while leaving key collaborative skills underexplored. Furthermore, expecting students to form interdisciplinary teams, navigate collaboration, and produce a film on a social justice issue within a short timeframe(20 credit unit) is overly ambitious. A more strategic and focused assessment approach, could better support student learning, engagement, and the development of essential collaboration skills.
Moving Forward
I will propose a shift towards process assessment rather than product assessment is necessary. Currently, the final film overshadows the collaborative learning journey, limiting opportunities to assess critical teamwork skills such as ethics, negotiation, and conflict resolution. Moving forward, assessment strategies should focus on the steps, methods, and engagement throughout the process, rather than just the final outcome.
Shifting to Process-Oriented Assessment
- Encourage reflection, skill development, and critical thinking, ensuring students understand how they collaborate, not just the final product.
- Provide ongoing, formative feedback on process of collaboration that allows students to adapt and refine their collaboration methodologies, communication, expectations and workload throughout the unit.
- Use assessment criteria that evaluate students’ ability to collaborate effectively, including problem-solving, creativity, effort, progression, integrity, listening skills, and negotiation.
- Make collaborative learning visible and critically assessed, rather than limiting evaluation to the final film.
To implement this, I propose structured self and peer assessments at different project stages, where students reflect on their contributions and engagement to the team. Additionally, regular check-ins or milestone reviews can create moments for guided reflection and tutor feedback.
Adopting Continuous Rather than Terminal Assessment
Currently, assessment in the unit is weighted towards the final submission, which limits opportunities for real-time learning adjustments. Shifting towards continuous assessment will:
- Reduce pressure on the final product by distributing assessment points across the unit.
- Allow students to receive timely feedback, helping them improve collaboration and problem-solving skills before submitting the final project.
- Support a more iterative learning process, where mistakes and challenges become part of the assessed learning experience.
- This also means a better distribution of student workload (Russell’s review of assessment patterns, 2010).
Strategies to achieve this include incremental submissions (e.g., collaborative planning documents, team agreements, or prototype versions of their film) and midpoint reviews where students reflect on their teamwork dynamics.
References
Anon (n.d.) Dimensions of Assessment.
Russell, M. (2010) University of Hertfordshire Assessment Patterns: A Review of the Possible Consequences. Available at: https://blogs.kcl.ac.uk/aflkings/files/2019/08/ESCAPE-AssessmentPatternsProgrammeView.pdf (Accessed: 3 March 2025)