A new take on the assessment of first-year art projects

Abstract

In a search for fresh forms of formative assessment that promotes student learning and encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, a reflective study was conducted after two assessment instruments were applied in the evaluation of first-year B.Ed. students in Art Education. The first assessment was designed to assist students to overcome their apprehension about mark-making (drawing) and with the second, consideration was given to whether assessments prepared students for a lifetime of learning. Many first-year students entering their teacher training have not done any art since primary school. As part of the B.Ed. course they are required to produce a practical portfolio where they apply the art elements. For some students, this is a daunting task because they have very little confidence in their own creative ability. As a strategy to overcome their initial fear of drawing, a River of Life (Fisher and White 2015) exercise was introduced to set off their practical work. The theoretical component of the B.Ed. 1 course in Art Education comprises of a) the didactics of the subject and b) basic background knowledge of South African art and artists. A component of this work is assessed by means of a written test, but in the past the outcome was very poor. In an attempt to improve their lack of knowledge in this regard, instead of a written test, students were required to come to class with prepared notes and using that, had to design a flowchart as if in preparation for a slide show of a particular component of the work. Some examples of the end results of the River of Life drawings were analysed and will be discussed to establish whether it could be considered a reliable instrument to assess the ability of B.Ed. 1 students in the practical application of the elements of art. Results of the flowcharts as part of the theory assessment have been analysed to ascertain whether it has been a reliable assessment tool for this particular component of their course, enabling students to source and apply knowledge about art and artists of South Africa