Innovative Assessment: The Workshop Method

Assessment methods are a fundamental part of higher education and any attempt to improve the quality of education should include an evaluation of the methods used in assessing students. It is vital then to constantly reassess methods used in evaluating students’ learning to ensure that it not only measures the outcome of learning but is also an aid to effective learning. This paper evaluates the use of Oral Presentations in a Business Communication course and suggests the introduction of the Workshop Method to promote active learning. An evaluation of students who had presented on average over 10 presentations showed that though there was a marked improvement in communication skills the understanding and analysis of content was lacking. Moreover, poor presentations negated audience participation which is vital in active learning. Data collected showed that the Workshop Method was successful in overcoming many of the drawbacks of oral presentations. However, more work needs to be done to develop a good workshop method that will avoid the concerns raised by students who participated in this study.