Learner perceptions of assessment of creative products in communication design

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 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.