Learner perceptions of assessment of creative products in communication design

Abstract

One major dilemma that appears not to help art and design students in their studio work is the assessment of creative outputs. Key issues inherent to assessment are who is carrying out the assessment and with what measure, especially when learners do not contribute to the assessment processes. This study sampled 247 tertiary students (104 male and 143 female) for their perceptions of assessment of their creative project-based learning in the Department of Communication Design, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. Data were sourced using a self-administered questionnaire. Four themes emerged from the participants' responses during data analysis: (1) perceptions on importance of creativity in graphic design, (2) relevance of creative process in creative production, (3) assessment and (4) assessment practice. Descriptive analysis was used to evaluate students' perceptions of creativity and its assessment, and to further investigate how their perceptions might affect their attitudes towards the creative process. Results indicated that students overwhelmingly appreciated the concept of creativity, and suggest that teachers wishing to improve students' attitudes towards the creative process and assessment of their creative projects, in general, should involve students in defining the learning outcomes and assessment criteria and involve them in the KEywords creativity assessment of creative product communication design higher education studio critique creative process Eric Francis Eshun | K. G. de Graft-Johnson 90 process. This study provides a pioneering work on how students perceive the assessment of their creative projects, and opens the way for further assessment studies involving both instructors and students. The findings have implications for instructors of communication design and school administrators, particularly those in tertiary education. rELEvancE to dEsiGn practicEStudies have shown that providing an enabling and congenial school environment is crucial to the creative development of the student (Lowenfeld and Brittain 1987;Burke 2007;Haring-Smith 2007). Assessment contributes largely to school acceptability, and determines what and how students learn. This study explores this issue and determines students' perceptions of the assessment process. The results of the study contribute to discourse of finding an acceptable assessment and evaluation process that can benefit the institution and the student.

A Cross-Sectional Study on Visual Art Students’ Perceptions of the Assessment Experience in a Public Higher Education in Ghana

“…The lowest scores reported for this domain pertained to difficulty in assessing artwork and ambiguity in the definition of "creativity". Many studies report similar concerns (Eshun & de Graft-Johnson 2011); these difficulties are not insurmountable and should be addressed. Studio instructors should be trained on appropriate art teaching and assessment methods that might drive active learning so that students will be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning (Saavedra & Opfer, 2012).…”

“…Furthermore, recent studies suggest the need for educational authorities to involve students in the educational process: in determining learning goals, instruction and assessment practices (Rust, 2002;Sluijsman, 2002;Struyven, Dochy, & Janssens, 2005;Race, 2009). Consequently, other studies suggest students" involvement should be directed and students have to be adequately prepared for the selected assessment practice(s) for effective assessment process (Race, 2002;Eshun & de Graft-Johnson, 2011;Craddock & Mathias, 2009). This, they argued would ensure students engagement.…”

Developing Computer-Based Design Approach to Foster the Architectural Skills of Undergraduate Students in Design Studios

“…However, Balchin [12] concludes that the best complex composite instrument should assess not only the product, but also the four Ps (product, process, person and press) [13].…”

“…King and Anderson, as cited by Kleiman [14], sincerely believe that it is the product that is used to evaluate the personality behind the product, and hence it is the product that needs to be evaluated [13].…”

Fostering Creativity in Design Education: Using the Creative Product Analysis Matrix with Chinese Undergraduates in Macau

“…Following this line of thought, it has been argued that creativity should be central to assessment in art and design education (Cheung, 2012;Eshun & de Graft-Johnson, 2012). As such, a number of strategies for enhancing student creativity have been proposed and used (Bruton, 2011;Hargrove, 2012;Wood & Jensen, 2012).…”