Keep your students in the dark - Don't let assessment suppress creativity

Project based learning is a valuable tool in the teaching of engineering design. For example undertaking a design and make project can aid the development of subject knowledge whilst demonstrating meaning in subject specific higher skills. Where innovative assessment within project based learning can offer enhanced learning is through the ability to assess the progress of learning in addition to outcomes. Traditional approaches to assessment utilise formative assessment to provide feedback to the student and summative assessment as a measure of the product. Two aspects of this traditional approach reduce the potential for creative thinking; the desire of the learners to meet the perceived objectives of the lecturer, and, the inability of the learner to ignore their experiences and observations of their wider environment. These aspects reduce creativity and risk taking. This paper will describe how integration of an assessment for learning (AfL) approach has utilised both formative and summative assessment of the learning process to support creativity within the design process. During the project the student is guided through an exploration of the knowledge required to support a questioning of the final task before that task is revealed and the final objective outlined. In the way a formative dialogue may take place which gives the learner a confidence and freedom to innovate. This approach is seen as student centred, valid, reliable and affordable whilst also promoting creativity and problem solving.