Assessment of theses in design education: Conceptualizing a co-creative process for grading by automated criteria evaluation

This article explores and proposes a design concept of a co-creative process that aims to support the assessment and grading of theses in design education through automated criteria evaluation. The research is based on a concept-driven design approach that theoretically anchored and empirically informed the design concept. The research was achieved by grounding the concept in theoretical resources concerning pedagogical principles and assessment, existing tools and models for examiners in assessment processes, and current design practices for assessment in higher education. The main contribution of this article, namely the concept of grading by automated criteria evaluation (GRACE), aims to provide support and structure for examiners and students to collectively advance the design, implementation, and evaluation of the concept through the co-creation and evaluation of criteria in higher education. GRACE could supplement existing assessment practices of theses in design education by focusing on both explicit criteria and the development of students' design thinking and abilities.