Project Description
Creative Assessment
Project Lead
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Irene O’Mara (Irene.OMara@mtu.ie)
Project Status
- In Progress
Project Lead Home Department
- MTU Cork - Cork School of Music
Alignment to HEA and NFETLHE SATLE 2023-24 Themes
- Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Alignment to MTU Strategy Themes
- Learner Education & Experience
- People & Community
Project Description
This project aims to transform the assessment culture within MTU’s Faculty of Creative & Performing Arts & Media by reducing assessment volume and promoting more inclusive, transparent, and student-centred practices. It aims to address known inconsistencies in assessment design, duplication across modules, and the pressures that these issues place on both learners and educators. It also offers an opportunity to embed MTU’s AI Assessment Scale and enhance digital and inclusive practices in a way that is meaningful to the specific learning environments of creative and performing arts education.
The initiative is a key part of the Faculty Enhancement Review and will directly inform the faculty’s first Teaching and Learning Strategy. It aligns with MTU’s strategic goals and national priorities in Education for Sustainable Development, aiming to create a more coherent, compassionate, and future-focused academic environment.
What is the anticipated impact of this project?
This project will significantly improve the student experience in the Faculty of Creative & Performing Arts & Media by reducing assessment overload and enhancing clarity, fairness, and inclusivity for over 1,500 learners. Staff, more than 250, will benefit from streamlined, collaborative assessment design, reducing duplication and supporting innovation. Long-term impact will be secured through integration with the Faculty Enhancement Review, shaping a new academic model from 2026 and offering a scalable framework for wider institutional and national adoption aligned with inclusive, sustainable teaching priorities.
HOW Will the outputs of this project be DISSEMINATED?
Project outputs will be shared widely to support cultural change and institutional learning. Within the Faculty of Creative & Performing Arts & Media, revised assessment strategies and resources will be shared via workshops, departmental briefings, and Communities of Practice. Outputs will be embedded into the Faculty Enhancement Review (FER), creating a scalable model for wider MTU adoption. Institutionally, dissemination will occur through the Teaching & Learning Unit, learning communities, and MTU events. Externally, the team will present at national and international conferences and publish in open-access teaching and learning journals.
Team Members
- Irene O'Mara, MTU Cork - Cork School of Music
- Alistair Payne, MTU Office Of Faculty of Creative and Performing Arts and Media
- Deirdre Collins, MTU Cork - Cork School of Music
- Rose McGrath, MTU Cork - Crawford College of Art & Design
- Trish Brennan, MTU Cork - Crawford College of Art & Design
- Valerie Renehan, MTU Cork - Crawford College of Art & Design
- Louise Foot, MTU Cork - Crawford College of Art & Design
- Maria Judge, MTU Cork - Cork School of Music
- Gabriela Mayer, MTU Cork - Cork School of Music
- Cian Ó Dúill, MTU Cork - Cork School of Music
- Students, MTU Cork Campuses
