Reflection #4: Six Assessment Strategies in Arts Education

I think that art criticism and what was talked about in the previous reflection go hand in hand. The book states; “Our goal in art citicism is to ensure that students use language of art appropriately. Any inquiry strategy will work so long as the student is motivated to persist long enough to get beneath the surface.” (1)One of the main points I feel in art education is for the student to look beneath the surface and grasp that deeper meaning and emotion art can portray. While the students grasp the concepts and meaning of art it can be very challenging to find ways of assessing the student and making sure they gain knowledge from what they were taught. Art is a tricky subject because some will be more talented than others but some will put more effort so you can not judge on the piece itself. 

Here are summative and formative strategies I found in assessing arts education:

Summative:

• A standardized test is a commonly used summative assessment. This is not normally used for art assessment but can be used to test general knowledge of specific curriculum taught throughout the year. Common forms like true/false, multiple choice, matching and written response questions could be asked. Questions about volume, contrast, texture, and color. General basic art questions. (2)
• Many textbooks include questions to use for a summative assessment based on the instruction provided. (4)
• Visual examples say you are studying certain artists’ or art types throughout the year. Giving visual examples and having the students identify, define, or write about it is a way of assessing knowledge. (4)
• For a final grade it is important to look at the students progress throughout the year. Say a student was consistent in doing work and followed all instruction that student should be rewarded. But what about the student who did poorly but improved increasingly later that student should also be rewarded but maybe not as much as the other student.

Formative:

• Observations- Observations assist teachers in gathering evidence of student learning to inform instructional planning. This evidence can be recorded and used as feedback for students about their learning or as anecdotal data shared with them during conferences. (3)
• Self and Peer Assessment- helps to create a learning community within a classroom. Students who can reflect while engaged in metacognitive thinking are involved in their learning. (3)
• Criteria and Goal Setting- with students engages them in instruction and the learning process by creating clear expectations. In order to be successful, students need to understand and know the learning target/goal and the criteria for reaching it. (3)

1. (“Emphasis Art”, Frank Wochiak and Robert D. Clements)
2. (“Summative Assessment of Learning”, Jennifer Fenn, eHow.com)
3. (“Formative Assessment in the Classroom”, Catherine Garrison and Michael Ehringhaus)
4. ( “Tips, Tools, and Technology for Educators”, Learningtoday.com)