Drawing on assessment: using visual representations to understand students' experiences of assessment in art and design

This paper discusses research that is being conducted using visual representations as a method for understanding students' experiences of the assessment process in art and design. The preliminary analysis of drawings has highlighted a number of factors including: a negative reaction to assessment; the use of metaphor and simile in drawings and the effectiveness of using visual representations to successfully convey experience.

Using visual representations is proposed as a means of furthering our understanding of the student learning experience; and as a method for students to reflect on their experiences, such as within a Personal Development Planning (PDP) process. The drawings have highlighted an overwhelmingly negative reaction to assessment and this paper suggests that the prejudicial effects of assessment need further investigation, due to potentially detrimental consequences on students' creative abilities.