4.4 Assessment forms: Ways for students to communicate results and performance

Communicating knowledge, methods, findings and questions, whether orally or in written form has a formative as well as a summative purpose. The summative purpose is to show learning and results before the final grade. The formative purposes are to ensure that students develop their understanding within the field, as well as their communication skills. The development of successful communication should be seen in a wider perspective, for instance from a whole study program perspective, since developing good writing skills is a process that takes time. Lots of feedback and advice, and plenty of variation in the lengths of the texts as well as forms and audience, will promote this process.

The importance of being able to communicate findings and conclusions effectively cannot be underestimated. In working life, this skill can be crucial for success (29). Project-based courses have the advantage of providing excellent opportunities for training communication skills in a realistic context. In the selection of presentation media, one could take into account the environment in which students can be expected to work after graduation.  For example, written reports and oral presentations are generally used. In some context, such as in product realisation and in architecture, prototypes and various forms of exhibitions are used. In an educational context, it is important to note that the documentation and presentation of findings and conclusions is also an important learning opportunity. This work should be integrated with the continuous work during the course to stimulate reflection. This also provides an opportunity for regular feedback on work from teachers and/or students, which will help project teams to understand if the work is progressing as expected.