I did Communication and Multimedia Design at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, and they did a lot of stuff like that: having a dialogue with your teacher or exams w

I did Communication and Multimedia Design at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, and they did a lot of stuff like that: having a dialogue with your teacher or exams where you could bring a couple of handwritten notes. The largest part of the grades came from delivering projects, where you were graded both on result and process (you would present an end-product, and deliver a report documenting the product & the process of creating it). At the start of each project you would get a document explaining what categories the product & presentation would be graded on and what a failing, passing and excellent grade would look like, so you had a clear goal. I have the feeling the system only works with great teachers (which was the case in 90% of the teacher I had during my 4 years). They would also have feedback rounds after each semester and actually change things based on feedback, applying the design process on the course itself. It was a really great experience and I would whole-heartedly recommend that program to anyone interested in design/programming.