Neil Currant’s tour de force seminar in Compassionate Assessment really resonated with me. It is understood that assessment is a necessary, but sometimes deleterious, part of the learning journey. So how can it be done in a way that minimises the distress to the assessee? Currant’s research into Pass/Fail grading indicates that Compassionate Assessment does not lead to a lowering of standards. Just as we make reasonable adjustments following the social model of disability for those with disabilities, which have benefit for all students, assessment frameworks could be more flexible, without detriment to the quality of that assessment. The key is to understand the student, their learning style, background and motivations.

The Pass/Fail research also highlighted the affect of grading on self-censorship, a fear of risk-taking when the negative impact of failing is seen to be too great. Especially within the creative arts, where creation requires constant testing of new ideas, almost all of which could be considered failures along the road to the final outcome, risk-taking should be encouraged. I am often asked by students if they are doing something ‘right’ or if their samples will be ‘marked’. I see the relief when I tell them they won’t be. But more importantly, I see the freedom that it gives students to experiment, to collaborate with their classmates, how much less self-conscious they are about showing me their work in progress and how much easier it is for them to ask me for help. And as a result, how much deeper their learning becomes.