Heather Symonds (London College of Communication, University of the Arts London) discusses the use of oral assessment particularly in relation to issues of diversity and inclusivity. This presentation was part of the HEA-funded project “Innovation in the Assessment of Social Science Research Methods in UK HEIs”. The project was led by Luke Sloan, Cardiff University.

1. COMPETENCIES FOR CONVERSATION
Heather Symonds
HEA Social Science Innovative Assessment
Cardiff June 2013

2. I CAN WRITE ESSAYS BUT IT IS LIKE WALKING
AGAINST THE WIND’. WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP
DOING THIS WHEN IT JUST PROVES THAT I AM
DYSLEXIC?
Student panellist presentation – RMIT/La Trobe (2007) Doing It Better

3. VIVA VOCE- LIVING VOICE
Learning Outcomes
• Mapping across to orality
• Rubric of assessment
• Exemplars
http://www.arts.ac.uk/itrdu/podcasts/acco
m_assess_01.mp3

4. THE LIVING VOICE
• http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/536/
• Kontas, Costas (2006) A critical analysis of Keiji
Haino. Other thesis, London College of
Communication, University of the Arts London.
WritingPAD Goldsmiths 2005 Discourse on
assessment

5. VARIETY OF ASSESMENT
Vocational
Varied
Vibrant
•BA Sound Arts Design
•BA Fine Art
•BA Fashion
•BA Graphic Design
•FdA Photojournalism

6. ‘KEIJO HAINO’ ‘YINKO SHONIBARE’
KONTOS- LCC TEIXEIRA- BYAM
SHAW
Dissertations or VIVA VOCE VIVA VOCE VIVA VOCE VIVA VOCE
VIVA VOCE VIVA VOCE VIVA VOCE VIVA VOCE VIVA VOCE

7. •Contents of the Viva Guide (Symonds 2006)
•
•What is a viva?
•Who will be present at the viva?
•Why are dyslexic students allowed to undertake a viva?
•Suitability of a viva and consent
•Process of a viva
•Consent form exemplar
•Liaison with Study Support staff- structure
•Performance Assessment
•Narration versus analysis
•Building Blocks to a viva
•References extract from Viva
Voce Guide UAL©

8. • Symonds,H. (2010) Competencies for
conversation: Assessment In inclusive
education in: The international Journal of
Diversity in Organizations, Communities
and Nations, Vol.10.No.3 Chicago Illinois
• Symonds, H. (2009) Teaching, Learning and
Assessment: It’s Not Like You Think, In:
Pollak, D. (ed) Neurodiversity in Higher
Education (London) Wiley
•
• Symonds, H. Introducing oral assessment
within creative practice: ‘I can write but
it's like walking against the wind’ Journal
of Creative Writing Vol.1 Issue 3 pp: 227-
236- 2009
Symonds, H (2006) ‘Structured vivas as accommodated assessment for
dyslexic students’ University of the Arts, Teaching and Learning Report
2005/06. Available from:
http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/516/1/devt_heathersymonds1.pdf.
[Accessed: 02.05.2010]
WritingPAD Writing Purposefully in Art & Design. www.writing-
pad.ac.uk

9. The combination of professional
knowledge and current thinking is
demonstrated through dialogue
and professional portfolio
The combination of professional knowledge and current thinking is demonstrated through orality; conversation and dialogue, supportedThe combination of professional knowledge and current thinking is demonstrated through orality; conversation and dialogue, supported

10. Subject specific content -not
a chat-collated evidence
which informs the orality

11. Professional competence has been defined as embracing the domains
of integration of knowledge and skills, context of care, information
management, teamwork, health systems, and teacher-patient
relationships, pedagogic reasoning and judgement, time management
and learning strategies. (Thilakaratne, R. 2006).
Matisse- The conversation
‘Ground Rules’