From the horse’s mouth : oral assessment in Journalism education

Abstract

Viva voces and practical oral assessments have been a recognised method of student assessment, in widely diverse academic fields for decades and perhaps even longer (Huxham et al., 2012). However, such assessment methods have not, hitherto, been utilised in London Metropolitan University’s Journalism education programme. This is, perhaps, somewhat surprising given that journalism is, by its very nature, a professional discipline that employs a variety of sensory modalities - extended through technological media - to achieve its effects and impact. This article will examine why this variety seems not to be reflected in the assessment regimes of associated journalism education programmes and will also raise the following questions: is this simply a preference that may need to be challenged, and, more provocatively, does it therefore suggest a lack of desire amongst Journalism educators to innovate? For the purpose of this paper, I will be examining the Journalism School in London Metropolitan University and, more specifically, the undergraduate programme of that school