Moderator's Newsletter - Visual Arts

August 2008

Introduction

This newsletter is the first in a new series planned to alert you to issues relating to external moderation of internally assessed standards.

As teachers are aware, all moderation is now being conducted by a team of full and part-time moderators. For Visual Arts, a small number of contract moderators have also been engaged to ensure that specific expertise is available for all five fields and that a full range of approaches and aesthetics are able to be acknowledged.

This newsletter focuses on three issues that are specifically related to visual arts teachers:

• TKI exemplars for 3.1 research standards
• level 1 achievement standards review
• level 2 unit standard 9050 review.

TKI Exemplars for 3.1 Research Standards

Re: VisArt/3/1/-A1, VisArt/3/1/-B1, VisArt/3/1/-D1, VisArt/3/1/-E1, VisArt/3/1/-F1, VisArt/3/1/-G1, VisArt/3/1/-H1

TKI tasks developed for the 3.1 research standards follow a common format with the final task designed to generate evidence for the third criterion. In some cases, the first task also provides opportunity for students to generate evidence for the third criterion, but the impact of this in schools has been minimal. Two recurring problems have emerged with the use of these (often unmodified) materials in schools:

• only one week allocated

Task 3, designed to generate evidence for the third criterion, is typically allocated one week. This is proving to be insufficient time for students to generate evidence to meet the requirements for Merit and Excellence.

• comparing students' own practical investigation with that of selected approaches

Wording in the TKI exemplar task 3 encourages students to compare their own practical research with the selected approaches investigated. While this is one of a number of valid strategies to identify and analyse relationships, the reality is that it is often used exclusively. Students also need to analyse the relationships between the selected approaches investigated.

Recommendations

It is recommended that tasks designed to generate evidence for the second criterion be shortened into one week. This would allow task 3 to be extended to two weeks.

Suggestions to compare the relationship between the selected approaches and students' own practical investigation should be removed. While this is one valid strategy it often distracts students from the main focus of the third criterion. This comparison might be more appropriately situated within the practical exercise.

More specific guidelines on the comparison required should be developed. Guidelines should highlight the differences between the simple process of identifying relationships and the more rigorous activity of analysis. Schools might consider the use of essay templates or scaffolds, which may enable learners to achieve a much higher degree of success.

External moderation has found that two A3 pages of writing, or the equivalent, are usually required for students to start discussing the reasons, influences, and relationships beyond simply listing similarities and differences.

Schools should note that revised exemplars, which address these issues, are now available on the TKI website. 

Level 1 Achievement Standards are now Version 3

In most cases the changes in version 3 are minor, bringing the terminology in line with that used at level 2 and 3. Explanatory notes have been revised or extended to clarify the intent of each standard.

AS90018

A significant change for 90018 is the revised first criterion which states that learners must "Investigate information relevant to selected Māori and European art works from established practice". This means that Māori art moves from an implicit intention to an explicit requirement and this is a critical element of the standard.

When updating assessment materials for AS90018 schools should ensure that :

• both European and Māori art works are to be researched
• art works from contemporary practice are to be investigated as stated in bullet point three
• the study of traditional contexts, while these may inform current practice, is not prioritised at the expense of research into contemporary practice
• the use of drawing activities, while these may inform the understanding of established practice, is not prioritised at the expense of research into contemporary practice.

AS90021

One small but significant change is to explanatory note 3 in AS90021. Version 2 states that "Students must use an existing body of their own work ... ", whereas version 3 states that "Student may use an existing body of their own work ... " This subtle change allows for considerably more flexibility in the delivery of standards, now that 90021 no longer must follow on from previous work.

Links to the Review Outcome can be are provided on the Visual Arts homepage.

Links to all the Visual Arts standards are on the same page.

Level 2 Unit Standard 9050

Be aware that for 2008, version 4 is now the registered version of this unit standard.

Version 3 assessment materials will still be valid for internal assessment 2008. All materials need to be updated to version 4 before use in 2009.

Assessment materials should be updated to include Performance Criterion 2.4 - Photographic material is filed for storage according to type.

Last updated: 12 August 2008