humanities and the arts

ARTS AND HUMANITIES CATEGORY 6

GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT GECCIG REPORT

June 25, 2009 GECCIG COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Gerard Alosio, Thomas Hendrickson, David

Laverny-Rafter, Elizabeth Miller, Steven Smith (Chair)

A. PROCESS:

Samples of student work was gathered during Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 from students whose Tech ID ends with 5. The work collected was of many different types due to the large variety of offerings within the College of Arts and Humanities. Although this group is identified as a committee, it was determined very early on that it was difficult to work in a committee in the traditional sense where the group would assemble together and collectively go over data. It proved difficult to find a suitable meeting time. The committee also recognized that they would be faced with comparing apples and oranges due to the large variety of class formats involved. Therefore, it was decided to each individually collect and analyze data and write separate reports, with the chair of the committee submitting a summary of the data. Each committee member collected data samples and applied the following three rubrics to individually formulate whether classes in the committee members department were meeting the objectives of General Education Category 6. 1. Student can create and/or critique a work in the arts or the humanities

1. Student has observed a work of art or a work in the humanities. 2. Student can create a work of art or a work in the humanities, and critique a

work of art or a work in the humanities. 3. Student can create a work in the arts and/or humanities, and can critique a

work of art and/or evaluate a work in the humanities. 4. Student can create a work in the arts and/or humanities, and can develop

and use acceptable criteria to critique a work of art and/or evaluate a work in the humanities.

2. Student displays knowledge of the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.

1. Students can list works in the arts and humanities from different eras, or list works that deal with different issues from the same era.

2. Students can describe works in the arts or humanities from different eras, or discuss works that deal with different issues from the same era.

3. Students can compare and contrast works in the arts or humanities from different eras, and compare and contrast works that deal with different issues from the same era. Student comparison shows a depth of knowledge concerning the works compared.

4. Students can compare and contrast works in the arts and humanities from different eras, and compare and contrast works that deal with different issues

from the same era. Student comparison shows a depth of knowledge concerning the works compared.

3. Student displays understanding of the relationship between the arts and the humanities and culture.

1. Student can identify a relationship or a connection between a work in the arts and/or the humanities and society.

2. Student can explain a relationship or a connection between a work in the arts and/or the humanities and society.

3. Student can explain how works in the arts and humanities help to define, create, recreate, change or sustain a society, or how that society creates conditions or constraints for the creation of works in the arts and humanities.

4. Student can explain how works in the arts and humanities help to define, create, recreate, change or sustain a society, and how that society creates conditions or constraints for the creation of works in the arts and humanities.

Each individual committee members report has been added to this document after this summary page. It was left to the discretion of each member to determine what forms of data were to be collected and how the three rubrics were to be applied. B. RESULTS Each individual committee member reached their own carefully crafted conclusions from individual analysis of all data collected and anyone reviewing this document is encouraged to review all of the individual reports. In summary, each report found that the classes examined were meeting the GECCIC 6 requirements. C. RECOMMENDATIONS

When the committee first met, its members were faced with the task of deciding to use

the existing GECCIC 6 rubrics or revise and create an improved standard to apply to all

of the data collected. The task of making such a revision was dismissed as too

daunting a task and thus the existing three rubrics were again utilized. This assessment

tool needs to be reviewed and revised by a committee whose sole purpose is to revamp

the assessment procedure.

Several of the committee members felt that a larger sampling of students would be

more suitable for accurately assessing the outcome of an entire class, rather than

depending on a much smaller sampling such as students whose Tech ID ends in 5.

Some individual committee members used a larger sampling size since they had the

data available and the resources to go over a larger set of data. In many of the smaller

classes examined, there may only be a few students representing the entire class.

This committee made great strides in overcoming the question of large format lecture

style classes where the only data available was in the form of multiple choice exams. In

this style of class, individual questions from each exam administered were selected that

specifically addressed each of the three rubrics. In this way, statistics were generated

that could demonstrate numerically whether the class being examined met the

requirements of the General Education Category. Previous GECCIC reports did not

include or examine large format classes at all. One suggestion in regards to the large

format classes is that instructors review the three rubrics and keep them in mind when

crafting exam questions to facilitate data analysis for future GECCIC reports.

FALL 2008/SPRING 2009: CATEGORY 6 ASSESSMENT OF ART 160:

ART 160: Introduction to Visual Culture

Individual assessments were completed for the following general education

course:

Art 160: Introduction to Visual Culture

We addressed the criteria for evaluation in relation to each course included

in this assessment. However, Art 160 is unique in its class size and other

aspects of course delivery. The only art course offered outside of Nelson Hall,

Art 160 seeks to provide an introduction to visual culture to over 800

students, in four sections, each academic year. Assessment included review of

student writing assignments, qualitative information from student

interactions, and the usual quantitative measures of standard course

evaluation forms.

ART 160: INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL CULTURE

Following the completion of Category 6 of the General Education Program,

students can:

1) Create and/or critique artistic performances:

Art 160: Introduction to Visual Culture provides an overview of

visual culture historically and in contemporary society. Objectives

include understanding:

the role of the artist

the role of the observer

the role of art in society

the role of Art 160 in the context of other general education courses

Within this context, students critique works of art based on objectives

specific to the course.

Typical assignments asks students to critique a work of art

addressing:

Form and content in visual culture

A personal critique of art work(s) utilizing the

vocabulary of the course text

Reactions to specific art works or videos about visual

culture as in-class writing assignments.

The following writing samples from Art 160 students demonstrate

their use of vocabulary and reactions to the formal elements of art:

There is a lot of negative space in each of the three drawings

although the pictures do not look empty.

The whole piece is balanced asymmetrically.

Lines descend from the rooftop and intersect with the contoured

line bordering the roof. Implied lines direct my sights starting at

the entrance, working upward to the right, then down.

The bold lines in this piece, although stylized as propaganda, are

also reminiscent of pop art.

The defined objectives encourage students to not only engage with

artwork, but they must do so in ways consistent with the process of

art criticism using its unique vocabulary and methods. Similar to

the assessed studio courses, Art 160 helps students to grapple with

specific content and subject matter while also incorporating their

own ideas and point-of-view. This, in turn, links their

understanding of how form and content interact. These written

assignments challenge students to think about visual culture in new

ways.

As stated in the Art 160 syllabus, the objective of the course is to

help students learn to be a fully informed observer, better

understand the role of the artist, and the role of art in society.

Critiquing examples of visual culture ties these objectives to the

overall goal of providing a solid general education exposure to the

world of art.

In summary, students: 1) build a critical vocabulary of formal issues

in visual culture, 2) better understand the historical context of

visual culture, and

3) gain exposure to diverse examples of contemporary visual culture.

Again, this