Summary of Activity

At Flinders University filmmaking students undertake a range of practical topics (aka classes / units / modules) covering different types of production – documentary, narrative drama, music videos, experimental films, advertising, television pilots and 16mm filmmaking. Over the years academic staff have developed, evaluated and redesigned the assessment of creative work based on student feedback, teaching outcomes and industry trends.

Challenges

We often hear from students - ‘group members don’t equally contribute’, ‘the assessment tasks aren’t relevant’, ‘the feedback was received too late’, and ‘my grade was lower than expected’. It is difficult to address this feedback across all assessment items and to the satisfaction of every student.

Outcomes & Impact

A holistic approach has been taken in addressing the issues surrounding the assessment of collaborative and creative work across the practical filmmaking topics. The evolution in the assessment of Screen Production work at Flinders University has led to four key approaches:

1. Assessment Items – Each topic has 3 - 4 assignments, centred around a specific type of video production. Assessment items are purposely aligned with industry expectations and practices where possible. Examples of common assessment items include pitch decks, story development documents, industry paperwork, complete films, behind the scenes materials, and marketing deliverables. There is some flexibility for students to negotiate the types and number of items submitted depending on their project, the size of the group and their production methodology.

2. Individual and Group Work – Across the three-year undergraduate degree there are opportunities to work as an individual, in pairs, small groups and larger groups. Where possible students are provided with a choice, for example to work as an individual or pair, or as part of a small or larger group. Students come to understand that filmmaking is a collaborative activity, while also appreciating they have a choice when the situation permits. When assessing the work, we are looking at the film itself as a standalone creative artifact, as well as the individual contribution of each student in terms of technical quality, decision making and creative input. For the major assignment (the production of a film) the individual contribution is made explicitly clear by students being required to submit a self-evaluation, log of hours, supporting documentation and attend an exit interview.

3. Types of Feedback – To make the most of the learning experience students are required to meet production milestones, present their work in designated classes and respond to feedback throughout the semester. Groups are provided with verbal feedback at pitches, HoD presentations, edit reviews and film screenings. Individual student feedback is provided along the way as required and more formally at the exit interview. Finally, written feedback is provided as part of the marking rubrics, with more significant feedback in response to the written components of an assignment.

4. Actionable Feedback – The major assignment for each topic is a film. The film is due during the last week of semester, and at this time the work is screened to the class. Feedback is provided by a panel of academics. This feedback is recorded and sent immediately to the students. The group are then given the opportunity to re-submit the film within one week (seven calendar days). This process encourages students to action the feedback, improve their creative work and potentially receive a higher grade. Almost all groups take up and deeply value this opportunity.

Reflection & the Future

In our classrooms we encourage an open dialogue around assessment, feedback and ways to improve as teachers. Students appreciate that we care and are open to discussing the process and issues. Furthermore, students understand the challenges, and are more willing to accept that no system is perfect. As a team we continue to reflect and develop better ways of designing assessment and providing meaningful feedback.

Presenter Bio

Dr Tom Young is a passionate Teaching Specialist, an experienced Senior Lecturer and the Discipline Lead in Screen, Film and TV at Flinders University. Tom teaches students to make films: short documentaries, narrative drama, client videos, television, and feature films.

Alongside teaching Tom is also an established filmmaker and the founder of Frankie Films Pty Ltd (www.frankiefilms.com.au), a leading video production company based in South Australia. The company creates high-end promotional videos, television commercials, documentaries, and animations.

At the national level Tom is an elected Executive Member and Treasurer of the Australian Screen Production Education & Research Association (ASPERA). Since 2021 Tom has also been a Board Director at Channel 44, Adelaide’s community television station, and from July 2024 he has taken on the role of Chair.

Video of Symposium Presentation