Shreeve, A, Wareing, S & Drew, L 2008, Key Aspects of Teaching and Learning in the Visual Arts. in H Fry, S Ketteridge & S Marshall (eds), A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice . 3rd edn, Routledge.
Notes & Reflections:
The following ‘educational traditions’ as they are referred to in this chapter are listed and considered. It was useful to clarify these, all of which I have tacit awareness of, but it is useful to be reminded that these are to different degrees unique to visual arts education. The 11 below are taken directly from the chapter, (p346).
1 Students are, from the outset of their higher education, practitioners in their subject of study.
2 Many courses are structured to include long periods of working on projects.
3 There is often a range of technical skills which students need to acquire.
4 Study time and contact hours frequently occur in studios and workshops, which provide opportunities for engaging in informal conversations about the work in progress among students and between tutors, technicians and students.
5 Assessment and feedback are often accomplished through the crit, or critique, a key component of most art and design education.
6 Opportunities to learn from peers and from the work of students in the years above are plentiful.
7 There is an emphasis on open-ended solutions and many possible ways of undertaking practice.
8 There is less emphasis than in many subjects on formal knowledge and more on procedures and ways of working which are more or less appropriate in specific situations. This knowledge is frequently held tacitly by practitioners (both teachers and students) and therefore may not be readily articulated.
9 The expectation that students will become independent, self-analytical, critical thinkers inform the entire period in higher education from the start of their course.
10 Students (and indeed staff) are often uncomfortable with the role of writing and theory within the subject; it is often seen as separate and unrelated.
11 The environment in which students learn is rich in opportunities to develop skills, usually referred to as personal and professional skills, key skills or skills for employability.
Tutor-Practitioner
There are clear advantages to this situation, for tutor & student, however, it also leads to negatives in relation to the part-time (& hourly paid) nature of many positions. Lack of induction/knowledge of uni & department systems & resources, out of the loop re comms, un-supported and time-poor, leading to poor sense of belonging and limited ability to go engage with students informally.
Student-Practitioner
‘Community of Practice (Lave & Wenger 1991)
Students taking part in ‘legitimate peripheral participation’ through practice & often tacit learning.
Tutor has role of ‘initiating’ newer members into the community.
Equal Opps
The ability to acquire tacit knowledge can vary greatly depending on the student’s background, education, and prior experience, therefore there is a real risk of inequity of opportunities. This can be overcome by creating many opportunities for taking part in the ‘community of practice’, formal (briefings written & verbal) & informal processes (teamwork opportunities, conversations, social networking).
Project-work in Art & Design – a leading form of engagement
Best practice: written brief including; exact parameters of work, clear LOs, assessment info, resources & refs, dates & deadlines (formative & summative).
Assessment in the Visual Arts
‘Constructive alignment’ (Biggs 1999) = student should be able to demonstrate LOs through the project’s process & outputs.
A collection of student work containing evidence of; processs, research, thought processes, decision making, reflections, ideas, final outcomes, technical skills etc.
There’s a need to be v clear about what is being assessed. – process / outcome / person / learning outcomes etc.
Self assessment / evaluation is very valuable
The Crit is a good opportunity for self & peer to peer assessment. Crits heavily controlled by the tutor can be less effective and difficult for students.
See (Blair 2006a,b)
Reflection in Learning:
Reflection is recognised as essential to learning (Moon, 2000)
Moon, J (2000) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice, London:Routledge Falmer.
Tips for learning technical skills;
Group working & buddying
Deconstruction of artefacts
visual resources to explain (diagrams etc.)
The Reflective Journals I introduced at Uni of Herts are a good example of me introducing structured reflection for learning and assessment. However, there is the risk of some students using them to document activities and share references, without much (or any) reflection of the activities or content of the resources. I experienced this with a few students at Herts. A seeming reluctance to reflect on their own opinions and thoughts.
A sketchbook is also a reflection tool, when used well, to facilitate; inquiry, thinking, making, reflecting.
Personal & Professional Skills development
employability / entrepreneurial skills, such as; flexibility, project management, confidence, flexibility, proactivity, etc.
Often tacitly gained through active learning experiences/opportunities like taking a role in a project or event. Defining roles with skill sets is a good approach.
Shreeve, A, Wareing, S & Drew, L 2008, Key Aspects of Teaching and Learning in the Visual Arts. in H Fry, S Ketteridge & S Marshall (eds), A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Enhancing Academic Practice . 3rd edn, Routledge.