A critical reflection on assessment for social inquiry: Fashion applications and consumerism

Learning to learn is the theme of the current educational reform in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Learners should be well equipped with generic competencies such as collaboration, critical inquiry, reflection, communication skills and sensitivity to cultural diversity, stereotypes and multiple perspectives. ‘Social Inquiry’ is an approach to learning and teaching that is based on the process of critical reflection on social issues from moral, ethical and political points of views. A social inquiry approach was implemented with appropriate assessment for year one students of the Mixed Mode Bachelor of Education (Secondary) who were assigned with group projects for the module of ‘Fashion Applications and Consumerism’. The aim was to promote critical reflective skills, resulting in graduates being socially responsible and morally compelling. Participants were required to undertake a critical analysis on fashion advertisements, accompanying with a reflective paper and an oral presentation. The purpose of this paper is to share the experience of devising appropriate assessment for social inquiry with a critique of the process. Learners’ reflections on the effectiveness of the assessment in fostering critical independent thinking will also be discussed with recommendations for future use of such an approach in teaching at tertiary level. Copyright © 2003 HEIA.