Introduction:
As a lecturer at Central Saint Martins, I’ve been concerned with the way we assess group projects in first-year architecture BA. After all, architects rarely work in isolation – the profession depends on teamwork. However, I’ve encountered a disconnect between this collaborative ideal and the realities of group project assessment.
The Challenge:
Some students contribute minimally, benefiting from the efforts of their peers. This can leave quieter students feeling overshadowed. Especially students with the language barrier. Their unique voice and skillset get lost in the final project, and worse, they might even receive lower grades that don’t reflect their individual contributions. That might potentially impacting therir self-esteem and motivation.
This raises several ethical concerns: fairness, individual development, and transparency in recognizing each student’s effort. Is our current assessment approach truly serving these goals?
We could look at professional architecture practices operating as collaborative units, the structure is distinct. Architecture firms assign specific roles and responsibilities, ensuring accountability for each team member. However, recognition and credit often stay with the firm, not the individual architect. Even within these professional collaborative environments, appreciate individual contribution remains uncultivated.
Moving Forward:
How can we bridge this gap between the realities of professional practice and the needs of first-year students? Here are some strategies I’m exploring:
Peer Assessment: Implementing peer assessment allows students to assess each other’s contributions within a group, fostering accountability and rewarding hard work.
Process Portfolios: Requiring students to maintain individual process portfolios that document their ideas and contributions throughout the project can offer a clearer picture of each student’s journey.
Formative Assessment: Individual presentation/critique of their work during the collaborative process.
Reflective Learning: Encouraging students to reflect on their teamwork experiences and individual growth allows them to gain valuable insights into their strengths and areas for improvement. Reflection and critical thinking as a part of learning outcomes.
Ultimately, reevaluating how we assess group work in this crucial first year is essential. By adopting a more balanced approach, we can ensure students become not just adept collaborators, but also architects in their own right – nurturing their individuality and self-worth while laying a strong foundation for their future success. This approach might change the matter of quite unethical architecture practice.
References:
“Bad attitudes: Why design students dislike teamwork “by Richard Tucker https://www.jld.edu.au/article/view/227/233.html
“Enhancing and Assessing Group and Team Learning in Architecture and Related Design Disciplines” by An Architektur: https://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=Enhancing+and+Assessing+Group+and+Team+Learning+in+Architecture+and+Related+Design+Disciplines%22+by+An+Architektur&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart
“Peer Assessment: Channels of Operation” by Keith Topping ://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/3/91