Discipline Area
Architecture
Key assessment issue addressed
Clarifying student expectations and moderating assessment.
The initiative
The design review + moderation process for all interior architecture
and architecture studios has been operating for approximately
five years in the School. During that time a number of modifications
and refinements have been made in order to respond to changing
student numbers, studio types, amount of display area etc. Responses
from student focus groups indicate however that some students
are still unclear about the purpose and structure of the process.
This document addresses those questions most frequently raised
by students about design week.
What is design review?
Design Week which includes Exhibition, Review + Moderation is
a process in which all design studios for Architecture and Interior
Architecture are presented for public exhibition and academic
evaluation at the end of each semester. Students will receive
a preliminary grade at Week 12 assessment. A moderation process
is conducted in Week 14 by a jury panel of all design staff and
invited external lecturers. This process allows level 2 and 3
Architecture to present their work to a panel and other students.
Level 2 +3 Interior Architecture is moderated in camera. The grade
can stay the same or be adjusted up or down depending on moderation.
Why do we have it?
The purpose is to broaden the process of assessment, ensure parity
of workload between studios, fairness of marking and nationally
benchmark the School. The exhibition serves to promote cross-disciplinary
activity between students and staff, and to enable students to
take pride in displaying their work, see the work of other level
studios and invite friends, parents, partners etc to view the
work too.
What is the purpose of the final submission at week 12?
The purpose of the submission at Week 12 is to assess your work
based on drawings, models, verbal presentation and give critical
feedback, from tutors and other invited guests related to your
studio, on what elements of your scheme could be improved for
exhibition purposes. It gives you a chance to see your work completed
on the wall with some opportunity to improve the communication
of it over the next week. The feedback you receive will be verbal,
however you are expected to take notes or get a friend to scribe
while you listen.
What is the purpose of the exhibition pin up at week 13?
The exhibition pin up at Week 13 is to display your work in the
best possible way, ready for review and moderation, having had
some time to reflect and improve on the presentation, and to enjoy
seeing the work of the whole School when you've had a chance to
have some sleep! It's also a chance to celebrate the end of the
production stage and get your family, friends, partners etc in
to see the results of your labours.
What is the role of the moderator?
The moderator's role is to arbitrate, particularly at the extreme
ends of grades and at change of level. They provide a reference
to standards at other universities ie to benchmark the School
against national standards. This helps the continuing accreditation
of our programs and hence the national and international status
of your degree. They also provide a written report of their findings
which helps in planning and reflecting on the studios offered,
avoiding disparity between studios and omissions in critical areas
etc.
Who are the moderators?
They are academics chosen because of demonstrated experience and
breadth of understanding of design studio, design teaching generally
and ability to deal with students work fairly and respectfully.
The School choses academics from other design schools nationally,
and this year one from New Zealand, to cover the range of other
design institutions. They aren't paid to come, apart from fares
+ accommodation, but come out of academic and professional interest.
What do the moderators know about your work?
Moderators are briefed with studio outlines several weeks beforehand.
They begin the week with an overall review of studios and outline
from each studio supervisor about the intentions, process + strengths/weaknesses
of the studio. Generally the moderators will see the work from
the latter half of the semester (~60% of your total grade) because
of the limitations on display space. They are however informed
about prior parts of each studio and will have been given a summary
assessment sheet from your studio supervisor detailing your progress
(and year level where applicable) through the semester.
How much time does each student have to present their work?
The design week schedule is set up to attempt to allocate time
fairly + evenly, with priority given to higher level studios.
In architecture and final year interior architecture each studio
is given a block of time in the order of 2 - 3 hours for students
to speak to their work. It is necessary to keep time strictly
within those blocks. This is part of the discipline of working
within a given constraint. The intention is that studio supervisors
inform you ahead of time, at Week 12 final submission, how much
time you will have and what the running order will be, so that
you can be prepared with your verbal presentation. In most cases
it will not exceed three minutes per student, and is intended
as a structured supplementary to your drawings rather than a discussion
or extended critique. This encourages a standard to the design
and the drawn/modelled presentation where the work must speak
for itself, as if for a competition.
Who is on the moderating panel?
The panel includes all design staff in order that your work gets
a broad and balanced assessment, and that each stream of the program
(design; technology; history/theory; communications) is represented
by staff. It also gives students practice at presenting to a group
of people who are not as familiar with your design as your studio
supervisor and tutors will be, just as you will have to do in
practice. The other reason for involving all staff is that it
is the one occasion each semester where staff can see the whole
range of studios and your work at its best, without conflicting
teaching, research or administration responsibilities.
What are the criteria used for moderation?
The assessment criteria for each studio are those set out in your
original handout, and agreed to by design staff at the design
preview that takes place at the very beginning of each semester.
Who makes the final decision about the grade?
The principal responsibility for the grade rests with the panel.
The studio supervisors' provisional grade takes into account their
knowledge of your process and performance through semester and
their comments are given most weight during the in camera moderation
process that takes place after each studio has been presented.
How much can moderation change the provisional grade given
at final submission?
In the majority of cases the grade doesn't change, provided work
has been submitted for final submission and provisionally graded.
Historically, where the grade has been changed, it has generally
not shifted more than a grade, approx 50/50 up and down. In rare
cases, or particularly in cases of non-submission at Week 12,
the shift has been more. Because of this possibility, there is
no set limit to how much moderation can change a grade.
Why aren't level 1 studios moderated?
Level 1 studios aren't externally moderated in part because of
the large numbers of students involved. They are however moderated
internally by a panel made up of studio supervisors and tutors
(5 - 7 staff in total). There is also no choice of studios at
this level so there is no need to ensure parity between different
choices.
What else does the School do to monitor studio choice and
parity?
Before each semester each discipline runs Design Preview where
staff present detailed outlines and written handouts of forthcoming
studios. These are reviewed and refined by the discipline to check
that appropriate aims, content, process, workload and assessment
are being set.
