This was my final paper for my Philosophy of Education (Winter 2015). It was a class in which we assessed ourselves, from individual assignments to our final grade. I took a lot from this, and decided to write my paper on that subject, with special regard to how that would look in an art class. I looked at how talking about power and democracy in the classroom outright would allow for further trust and honesty in the assessment.

Self-assessment is done in the arts quite often, especially at UVic. In my paper I define self-assessment as reflecting on their assignment, describing their process, deciding what they are happy/unhappy with, and giving themselves a grade if required. The idea is having a sense of ones own learning, and deciding what they think they need to work on next. Teachers usually have the final say on what grade is given, but in my albeit small experience with self-grading, grades usually stay around where the student put them, and if it's too different there is a conversation about it. Reflection done during and after the art making can increase ownership over your learning, and if there are no grades but quality feedback from the teacher, hopefully students will take more risks in their work. I find this needs a trusting environment, and that's where talking about power and democracy comes in.

I think having a conversation about why you want them to self-grade is important. Students who are new to the practice might underestimate themselves because they think if they submit the grade they think they deserve the teacher might think they're lying and it's too high. Alternatively, a student might give a low mark because they are used to getting poor grades, or they're comparing themselves to others instead of to their past pieces. Students need to understand that the teacher will negotiate a mark fairly if needed. Knowing why they are doing self-assessment and what it can mean in terms of their agency will hopefully enable them to give more accurate assessment that will help them learn.

Power is present in every classroom. Some relish in it, others try to avoid overt expressions of it. Democracy, on the other hand, is not always present, though it has been argued that it should be (Noddings, 2011; Dewey, 1916/2001; Ford, 2003). The presence of power and democracy in a classroom can change the behaviors of both students and teachers, depending on the degree to which they are observable. Knowledge of power dynamics and what it means to have a democratic classroom can specifically change the usefulness of self-assessment. In this paper I will describe how these things can look in both teacher- and child-centred classrooms, how they are seen through the lens of long- and short-term goals, and throughout I try to answer this question: how do discussions surrounding power and democracy imply a teacher's commitment to cultivating their own and their students' wisdom when doing self-assessment throughout a visual arts class?

There are two types of power discussed in this paper. Sovereign power is something found in teacher-centred classrooms (Ford, 2003). It has the teacher as the visible source of power, and the person who uses disciplinary techniques to control their classroom (2003). Productive power, according to Maureen Ford, is not held or deployed by an individual – it circulates and moves through a person, and is not as easily visible as sovereign power (2003). It is found in child-centred classrooms, and there is sometimes just as much control in these classrooms as there is in teacher-centred classroom, though not always. Panopticism is a part of productive power – it reverses the “authority of the sovereign,” and generates compliance through the agency of the students (2003). Students know they are being observed both by other students as well as the teacher, and regulate their actions to comply with the norms that have been created in the classroom so as to be seen as a 'good student' (2003). A teachers' presence near a student can be an indicator that the student is doing something 'wrong' and the hope is that the student will notice and self-correct. In this way, the disciplinary technique is not overt, but for the lack of overt discipline to work the students must be good at self-surveillance (2003).

One tool used in schools to control students and assert (mostly sovereign) power is the system of grading. 'Good' grades can be the ultimate goal of students at school. The narrative goes something like this: you study hard and do your homework so that you can get good grades, so that you can get into a good post-secondary institution (ideally in academics), so that you can get a good job, so that you can make a lot of money, so that you can live happily ever after (along the way there is also marriage and children). This performance orientation leads to taking the easiest tasks, and a fear of failure. Teachers hold the sovereign power; they can give you good marks and propel you towards the dominant narrative – even if you end up following a different path, the option is still there – or they can give you poor marks, forcing you towards menial labour, or even worse, a trade! The teacher owns the ability to award a student for being good – they have sovereign power – and in turn, they own the student that buys into the system whether the student has consciously made the decision to do so or not.

Talking to your students about power can be difficult, but it is beneficial. As a teacher, you are in a position of power, and some find it difficult to reconcile with their liberal social narrative. Some people try to avoid sovereign power, and instead of the traditional rows of seats they have students sit in circles or smaller groups. This way every student has the ability to watch and judge each other, and the power becomes productive, running through them. Ford argues that productive power has the “potential for unveiling forms of domination that more commonly used accounts of power obscure,” but without speaking with students about this type of power, nothing is illuminated, and the school system remains the same (2003, p. 9). Child-centred classrooms may use productive power as a way to avoid an overt power struggle, but they do not always resist the dominant paradigms; that takes conscious effort, and that is where Ford's idea of unveiling domination can take effect. Knowing that report cards and standardized testing are about control can help teachers resist (2003). Students might know these things already as well, especially when the teacher vocalizes their comments to individuals while in class. Teacher praise is a form of assessment, and qualitative statements from a teacher can illuminate the value they put on a certain individual. Teachers sometimes praise students in front of others, which is a way to control what the others who were not praised do; they observe the surveillance of the other student, see the reward given, and try to also gain that reward. But in discussions of productive power, a teacher can help students towards understanding that there are alternative goals, such as the act of learning or doing for the sake of it, of assisting their peers to learn, or of mastery of a skill but not for the sake of grades.

John Dewey says that democracy is more than just a government system, it is a mode of living, and it is based in the idea that all people are equal (Dewey, 1916/2001). As well, democracy and education are deeply interconnected. In a teacher-centred classroom, there may not be an emphasis placed on democracy. There might be the illusion of choice – for example, choosing between a harder assignment and and easier one (that may also be easier to mark) is not a difficult decision for students looking for an easily obtainable 'good' mark. Or there may be discussions during the class in which the teacher dominates, and opposing points of view are not encouraged. In a child-centred classroom, there are often rules created collectively, or authentic discussions where differing world views are discussed. In a child-centred art class there are often self-assessment assignments, and class critiques where students talk about their peers' pieces in a way that does not confer value.

Long- and short-term goals of schools and teachers often go a long way in illuminating the value put on power and democracy. Long-term goals can include having educated, articulate, moral, hard-working, and democratic citizens that will become leaders. Short-term goals, especially in teacher-centred classrooms, can include compliance, docility, and order in the classroom. A classroom with a rich meaning of democracy that is similar to Dewey's philosophy are less likely to emphasize short-term goals such as these; they are focused on an easily managed classroom and conformity, rather than one that respects and appreciates difference (Noddings, 2011). Emphasis on long-term goals means a more democratic classroom or school, and they can be fostered through a number of ways, but I will focus on self-assessment, particularly in a high school art setting.

Self-assessment is done fairly often in visual arts classes. In this paper I define it as students reflecting upon their assignment, describing their process in doing the assignment, deciding if they are pleased with the outcome and what they would change about it, and giving themselves a grade if required. I include peer-assessment as a form of self-assessment in this paper, in part because it is a manner of assessment that is not done only by the teacher, and because it is especially prevalent in art classes in the form of critiques. The idea behind doing self-assessment is that the students will have an understanding of their own learning, and will have ownership of it. For younger students it is often done with a rubric, qualitative statements that are made quantifiable with an assigned number. Often the teacher has the final say on whether those numbers stay or need to change. Self-assessment, in the form described above, is a way for teachers to grade students with the illusion of freedom and democracy. It can be done differently though, as a replacement to formal grading. If a school requires final grades, a journal throughout the year can mean that it is based upon the students reflections and progress, instead of final tests or major projects. Reflections during and after art projects can increase student ownership of their growth, and their artistic autonomy, as the reasoning above describes. If it is done in a way that eliminates grades, or gets rid of them until the end of the year, students will be more willing to choose a challenging assignment instead of an easy A.

Talking to students about power and democracy can help them to discover their own paths in life (other than the usual grades-job-money), but it is important to also think on a smaller scale. Self-assessment is still a form of productive power, and as discussed above can be done in a way that doesn't resist any regimes. When students are picking a grade for themselves, they might worry about giving themselves 'too high' of a mark; that is, they may be afraid the teacher will not think they're being honest, and so underestimate their work. This can happen with students who normally do well but are always given grades by their teachers. Another scenario is when students who normally do not excel in the arts give themselves a poor mark because they have little confidence, or compare themselves to their peers and find their work wanting. These are both instances of students trying to step into the light and do what they believe the teacher is expecting of them. Both scenarios have students who are not honest with themselves. But if the students are well educated in topics of power and democracy, they might be more likely to think of their self-assessment in those terms, and truly be able to give a fair 'evaluation'. The students must trust that the grades really do not matter, and that the teacher will negotiate the mark fairly if necessary. They will be able to see everything “in spite of the blinders in place via school” (Leafgren, 2009, p. 65).

Teachers also benefit from self-assessed assignments, despite the fact that designing a truly engaging lesson plan is hard. If done to effectively replace grades, self-assessment is a way of seeing student progress more honestly, especially if that student has had time to grow used to a gradeless or semi-gradeless system. Teachers need to convey clearly, especially where grades are made necessary by the administration, that though grades are not your goal in teaching, students still need to put effort into your class. If there are self-assessed grades on projects, and grades at the end of term, teachers can let students know that if they disagree with the student-given grade, they will talk to the individual about it to see why there is such a difference. Beyond assignments, self-assessment can aid a teacher in creating a respectful environment, especially if peer-assessment is included. Group critiques in particular are helpful with this. Students are given a chance to present their work and talk about their process, which can go a long way in understanding and appreciating both the work and the student. This would also be present in a write-up about the piece if that was done instead of/as well as the critique. The student's peers would also be given a chance to ask questions and provide their insights, which can help the artist understand their own piece. Younger students are often prompted to give two things that they like about a work and one piece of constructive criticism. Teachers are often taught to not use phrases such as 'I like' in their feedback, and I think this would also be helpful in a high school setting. Students can then focus on why they like a certain aspect, and mention that instead of simply saying they like it.

Power will always be produced, and I do not believe that it is possible, or reasonable, to try avoiding it. That is why it is vital to introduce students to the concepts, even just to have them acknowledge that it is there. They will always be running into systems of power an oppression, and knowing it is there can lead to resistance and ultimately, change. It is important to talk with the students about why you're running your classroom in a democratic way and without value placed on grades. This is especially as they may not be used to a completely self-assessed class. Making the executive decision to eliminate grades with no discussion obviously defeats the democratic aspirations the teacher may have. Tell them why you disagree with the concept of grading. This can put student and teacher at a more equal footing, which is important because as Dewey says “lack of the free an equitable intercourse which springs from a variety of shared interests makes intellectual stimulation unbalanced” (Dewey, 1916/2001, p. 89). With an understanding of why they are doing self-assessment and what it means for them in terms of power, students will be better able to give an accurate assessment that will help them learn and grow as people.

References

Dewey, J. (1916/2001). Democracy and Education. Retrieved from: http://www.naturalthinker.net/trl/texts/Dewey,John/Dewey,_John__Democracy_And_

Education.pdf

Ford, M. (2003). Unveiling Technologies of Power in Classroom Organization Practice. Educational Foundations, Spring 2003: pp. 5-27

Leafgren, S. (2009). The Magnificence of Getting in Trouble: Finding Hope in Classroom Disobedience and Resistance. International Journal of Social Education. 24(1), 61-90. Retrieved from: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ986260.pdf

Noddings, N. (2011). Schooling for Democracy. Democracy and Education. 19 (1). Retreived from: http://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol19/iss1/