Planning an effective programme

Today's session went particularly smoothly. We were divided into subjects groups to devise a unit programme including aims, learning outcomes, curriculum and assessment. I was in the Fine Art group and the fact that the unit to be delivered was Drawing made our task easier than the rest of the groups (fashion, 3D, communication and graphics).

Drawing is a Fine Art discipline and, as such, our group found parity of criteria as to what first year students should learn.We all had different experiences but wanted to achieve the same aims. Even the animation tutor, whose discipline is slightly tangential to Fine Art, brought in a link with industry and a movement aspect to the curriculum design without much trouble. We got on with the task remarkably well, as if we had been teaching in the same course for some time.

Our own personal experience of having learned drawing (we had a drawing tutor in our group), the acknowledgement of the boundaries of the task (20 credit unit to 1st year students) and commonality of aims (Drawingbis a basic skill for Fine Artists) meant we had a basic understanding to start of with.

There were differences and particularities, of course. I was pushing for contextualisation, other people for materials and techniques, movement, life drawing or group assessment but we were able to compromise due to the common ground.

During the feedback session, however, things I hadn't nthought about were raised from the other groups. I had studied an MA Drawing without really drawing in the sense we were trying to promote (ie basic graphic skills) on our course unit. I did sound. I tried to have a drawing 'attitude'. I had completely overlooked the can't draw/won't draw syndrome, assuming my own experience or my expectations. Drawing is a complex experience involving cognitive and practical skills and I decisions need to be made as to what aspects of drawing that brief needs to address.

The more I think about it the more I think we mainly pitched our unit for multistructural or ralational approaches rather that promote a view of the world through drawing (what extended abstract students should do!)

What Allan pointed out, the difficulty of writing Learning Outcomes promoting creative practice and imaginative approaches is not very patent. I don't write learning outcomes as part of my teaching, noor work with other people's. But no doubt a time will come where research training programmes will also have to do that.


The conversation about Wittgewnstein's rabbit/duck was very interesting (particularly because we had a visual example there to refer to!). How can we help students experience what they haven't experienced before is a very relevant question I will have to ask myself when drawing out the course curriculum for the professional doctorate. Even though the group work was enjoyable and positive, I wish we had extended a lot more on the feedback and engaged in discussion. It's a pity to leave a class just as things start to get interesting and deep...

[note to self: this is a mistake I often do in my own classes, so I should do something about it and organise more time for common feedback rather than concentrate solely on delivery or group work.]