Final Post: Assessment Mark

This is my final post on this blog. My OCA journey continues on Practice of Painting 1 if anyone wishes to follow that.

There has been much discussion on student forums over the 2 years I have been with OCA as to what makes a good assessment submission. We all have a list of the criteria that assessors mark by but it seems that students, especially those new to OCA study have little idea of how those criteria ‘look’ in terms of a body of work. It has also been noted on more than one occasion recently that those with good marks come don’t come forward and share that so others can learn from it. Perhaps this is more understandable than trying to decipher the criteria narratives. It can be embarrassing to hold your work up as being deemed ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ when others may not have done so well. It could be considered as showing off, inappropriate and insensitive. Bizarrely it can also seem a little unwelcome to oneself to do so well: to acknowledge it heaps the pressure on to repeat the process and invites you to start looking for the formula that achieved such success, something that the assessors go out of their way to suggest that you don’t do (using 1/3rd of their precious feedback to do so – see below).

Over the last two years I have seen so many different styles of student blogs, some very brief, others full of personal stories and emotional insights way beyond the context of the course. They have all offered something to me and in some cases have been a very humbling read. We are encouraged to share blogs with each other and to learn from them (I recently received a suggested reading list from my tutor which included 3 student blog sites). Fellow students have followed this blog and have been kind enough to offer up words of encouragement, often at times of great (artistic) need. So my final post here finishes my drawing skills 1 story and if it proves helpful and insightful to others then great. This was my first module, a fraction of a (very long!) degree course, fundamental to the learning process but overall insignificant in the grand mark scheme that is a degree. It is in this context that I post my final mark and assessment feedback for this module.

Overall assessment mark: 73%

Assessment Criteria

Demonstration of Technical & Visual Skills (28/40, 70%)

(Materials, techniques, observational skills, design and compositional skills)

Development of excellent visual and technical skills. Highly effective design and composition.

Quality of Outcome (15/20, 75%)

(Content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner with discernment.)

Highly effective work presented in a professional way, showing strong judgement.

Demonstration of Creativity (15/20, 75%)

(Imagination, experimentation, invention, personal voice)

Excellent development of analytical and creativity thinking, showing independent judgements and presenting a developing personal creative voice.

Context (15/20, 75%)

(Reflection, research,(learning logs))

Awareness of an excellent breadth of contexts and debates supporting your growing personal and/or professional knowledge and understanding.

Overall comments and feed forward

Your ambitious submission shows that you understand what the work needs you to do, rather than second-guessing an outcome.

The contextual work is good and you are discerning how different artists can influence and inform your own work.

Continue to be conceptually ambitious (as seen in Light Series 10) but also explore further the potential of fluid media as seen in Reclining Nude 8.

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