Towards Assessment Practices ‘for’ Learning in Irish Built Environment Higher Education

Abstract Research in built environment education has begun to emerge as a distinct field. Within that context the investigation and exploration of assessment practices has received very little attention, particularly in the area of formative assessment. This type of assessment and the use of effective feedback mechanisms have been areas of concern for built environment educators for some time. The aim of this research is to improve the quality of student learning in built environment undergraduate programmes through the development of a theoretical framework of formative assessment based on the analysis of the issues and factors highlighted by the research literature and those involved in the research. The philosophical paradigm which forms the basis for the research is discussed and the philosophical issues surmounted in the choice of research design are addressed. The application of a mixed methods approach and more particularly a constructivist stance to the research is explored and rationalised. The results of the first and second phases of the study present the views of senior academics on assessment. Institutional and programme documentation on assessment are analysed and presented. This work offers a scholarly model for the assessment of built environment undergraduates where student learning is enhanced.

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