Formulating art lesson plans for a course must be tailored to fit the students who enroll in the course. For this reason, the students must first be assessed.
Types of Assessments
Different types of assessments exist. Formative assessments give the students the chance to check their learning as the course progresses; this might come in the form of quizzes, practical exercises, discussions and tutorials. Summative assessments occur at the end of the course, and come in the form of a test under a governing body. The focus of this article is the initial assessment. This is to check where the students are at prior to the course.
The Best Art Course
An initial assessment is necessary for several reasons, but most importantly, the results can be used to ensure the student concerned is on the correct and most fitting course. It would be pointless to enroll a student who has a higher diploma in art on a course of painting for beginners. Similarly, a student who wishes to improve landscape painting may experience inconvenience if the course was found to be on life drawing.
Individual Learning Plans for Art
But even though the students have been assessed and are enrolled in the correct course, the art teacher must still assess the students to fine-tune the lesson plans and ensure all needs are met. Individual learning plans (or ILPs) may need to be devised for students with special needs, such as those with a disability or someone who has particular difficulty with grasping perspectives.
Assessing Art Students
All students have individual learning profiles when it comes to art. Some students may have a natural gift for drawing, but find colour mixing difficult. Other students may have lots of creative ideas, but has no knowledge of art mediums.
On the first evening, the teacher must try to identify each student’s strengths, weaknesses, previous learning, special needs and expectations of the course. The following forms a typical example of a student’s initial assessment prior to beginning an art course.
Results of an Initial Assessment
- Name: Student X
- Previous learning: Completed BTEC National Diploma. Partially completed degree course in Bristol.
- Outline: Interested in fashion design. A capable student, she has made costumes for her local playgroup. She can sew, design and over-lock clothes and has done so since a young age.
- Strengths/weaknesses: Would like to work on her painting and drawing abilities. Perceives her drawing to be particularly weak.
The results of this particular initial assessment highlight a possible need for an ILP in drawing. Plotting measurements in common might be a start. Previous learning has conversely demonstrated abilities in other areas. A background in fashion might warrant exploratory artwork in montages. Lesson plans for colour theory, basic drawing technique, composing paintings and using mixed media might be the best course. Of course, the teacher must also take into account the initial assessments of the other students.
Initial Assessment in Art
Before the art teacher can formulate a series of lesson in art, the students must be initially assessed. This entails establishing their strengths, weaknesses, special needs and expectations for the course. The results will help the teacher consider which art lessons will suit the needs of each student.
Rachel Shirley - I have written and illustrated several art instruction books entitled Oil Paintings from your Garden and Oil Paintings from the Landscape ...
