Main focus of the approach

At a time when students are routinely stimulated through the visual medium, assessment strategies in higher education have remained remarkably text bound. Whilst the use of visual approaches are still considered to be highly innovative and challenging in their application they hold a number of benefits.

Visual approaches to assessment can be particularly positive in:

Imagery is powerful in long term memory.

Providing the opportunity for learners to present what they know, as images may help aid understanding of concepts difficult to explain.

Images provoke a range of responses.

Supporting creativity.

Provides the opportunity for the development of high level professional skills.

For more benefits see:

http://www.hlst.ltsn.ac.uk/resources/guides/images_tourism.html

The key principles of assessment are equally applicable to the use of visual assessment approaches. These are that:

Assessment shapes learning so if you want to change the learning you change the assessment approach.

Assessment tasks are mapped to the learning outcomes.

Assessment criteria are matched to the learning outcomes and are simple in construction.

Assessment is fair, reliable and valid in making judgements.

Provides meaningful and timely feedback.