Course Objectives

In this course, students will expand their understanding, experience and creative skills in order to strengthen their foundation for the understanding and experience of aesthetic values related to materials, communication and function. The course will further develop students’ awareness of the potential and values of the subject, in which learning, culture, business life and the environment are vital components.

Students will:

• develop their knowledge, cognition and ability to express themselves through aesthetic creative work using clay.
• master the use of creative processes in problem solving, product development and aesthetic creative work.
• systematically develop the necessary fine motor skills and technical knowledge in order to realise ideas and produce concrete results.
• develop their ability to independently formulate and solve problems.
• be able to use theories of form, colour and composition in order to evaluate their own creative work and that of others.
• experience and acquire knowledge of art and design culture within the specialist subject field and develop active skills regarding our culture’s traditions and renewal.
• acquire knowledge and experience of relevant research and development work within the subject field.

Course Description

Working with sculpture and utility objects in clay constitutes the main part of the course. By alternating theory and practice, students will develop their ability to make decisions and defend professional practices. Knowledge, skills and familiarity with creative processes and aesthetic, functional, communicative and craft-related qualities are central elements of the course.

Course unit 1: Utility objects, Function, Form and Ornament

The work with utility objects focuses on practical creative work in clay in which the students acquire fine motor skills, technical and aesthetic knowledge in a coherent process from idea to finished product. Students will acquire understanding of the relation between function, form, surface and colour, and aesthetic expression.

Main elements:

• Utility objects and function analysis
• Low fire clays and glazes
• Decoration and surface techniques
• Relevant structure techniques
• Form and ornament
• Norwegian and international ceramics

Students will:

• acquire the necessary fine motor skills and technical and aesthetic knowledge to realise ideas in producing finished products.
• work with low fire clays and glazes, slip and ceramic colours, throwing and slab building.
• utilise the necessary aesthetic theories within form, ornament and image.
• acquire and utilise the knowledge regarding traditional and contemporary expression in clay, both nationally and internationally.
• develop the use of the terms and concepts used in the subject, and be able to analyse their own ceramic work and that of others.
• acquire the necessary knowledge and information regarding safety and environment within the subject field.

The assignments must be submitted at the specified times; they will be assessed as pass/fail.

It is a prerequisite that students receive passing marks for all the separate parts of their assignments in order to be allowed to work on the final project.

Course unit 2: Sculpture and Three-Dimensional Aesthetic Work

This course unit consists of three-dimensional work in clay, both images/sculpture and work in the range between images and utility objects. Students will gain experience using clay’s expressive and communicative qualities.

Main elements:

• Form and composition seen in relation to free three-dimensional expression
• High fire clays and glazes
• Modelling, slab and moulding techniques
• Glazes and surface techniques
• Norwegian and international sculpture

Students will:

• learn to use clay as a means of expression and communication.
• learn to appreciate the relation between form and surface in order to create an overall artistic expression.
• work with high fire clays and glazes.
• use modelling and other relevant building techniques to achieve the desired result.
• understand and work with the entire ceramics process.
• utilise Norwegian and international sculpture as a starting point and source of inspiration for their own work.
• acquire the necessary knowledge concerning safety and environment within the subject field, especially in relation to materials which may be injurious to health; and in work with children and fire hazards.

Research and development work

The work on this topic will provide students with knowledge and experience in fundamental methods and approaches to the acquisition, development and processing of knowledge.

Students should be able to:

• limit the field of study, devise approaches to problems, use source materials and present and evaluate results.
• explain the main methods and approaches used for the acquisition of knowledge on the subject.
• use research literature, databases, informants and other sources.
• recognise the possibilities for renewing and combining methods within research and development work, based on the nature of the subject.

Learning Methods

The course is organised into two course units, a training period, an individual, written examination and a final project. The course units are independent elements and cover specific aspects of working with clay; for instance, work will be done with high and low fire clays and glazes, and appropriate techniques.

Course units: Course unit 1: Utility Objects, Function, Form and Ornament, 20 ECTS

Course unit 2: Sculpture and Three-Dimensional Aesthetic Work, 20 ECTS

Emphasis is placed on the students’ responsibility for their own independent work and ability to cooperate. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 37.5 hours per week working on their studies. They will be supervised by their teachers about half of this time.

Joint theory for the specialist courses

Some of the subject material may be considered common for all of the specialised courses. This will be mediated largely though seminars/lectures for the BA programme, Visual Arts and Design, and also partly through material in the programme, Subject Teacher: Education in the Arts. The subject material that is presented in these joint seminars may vary from year to year; consult the course reading list.

Other activities

In addition to these periods and the various parts of the course assessment (written home assignment and final project), there will be held arrangements such as ‘Open Door’, research days and possibly other external activities.

Project work, visits to exhibitions, and excursions are also a part of the course. The class will visit exhibitions of interest and industry and business if this is suitable. Internal and external projects of interest can in special cases replace assignment periods, if these are considered to be equivalent in terms of syllabus content to one or more assignment periods.

Practical experience

The course also includes three weeks of work experience in a workshop, business or other approved placement. In addition to the ordinary assignments carried out at the work experience location, students will, in consultation with the teacher, plan, implement and evaluate assignments, as well as fulfil the requirements for documentation. The course is offered nationwide, so the period of practical training may be completed at a location outside the university college’s immediate geographic area.

After consultation with the subject teacher and the work experience placement, the period of practical training may also be related to the student’s final project/research and development assignment.

Training practice reports must be submitted, at the latest, one week after the training period is completed. Both the training period efforts and the report are used in evaluating the student’s overall performance.

The student is not awarded credits for the period of practical experience, but it must be completed and approved before the student may commence on the final project and before a diploma can be issued.

“Business” in this context refers to an industrial or crafts business, workshop, public or private gallery or other type of activity that will provide the relevant practice for students of art and design and arts and handicrafts. It is a requirement that the business in question should be registered with the Bronnøysundregister and have its own number.

If the student wishes to try out what it is like teaching in their field, this may present an opportunity. The student may then make a choice of which type school he or she wants to teach in, the options in this case being either lower secondary school or folk high school. If the application is accepted, the student is dependent on at least two other students choosing the same type of school. There is also the possibility that the student may join students from other classes that have the teaching practice at the same time. The students should then cooperate with each other and the mentor in planning, implementing and evaluating teaching sessions. If the student on completing the Bachelor’s programme chooses to take a 60 ECTS Teacher Education Programme (PPU), then teaching practice in a BIII programme may be approved as a part of the PPU teaching practice. If this is the case, then the student should follow the regulations for teaching practice for 3rd year subject teachers.

Student council

Students choose their own student council consisting of 2-3 students who function as intermediaries between the teaching team and the class. When appropriate, the student council may participate in team meetings in order to discuss matters related to the planning of class activities. Students will also choose the representative for the course committee for joint lectures. The Student Council and the Course Committee for joint theory should have at least one meeting per semester. The class leader is responsible for ensuring that representatives are appointed, and he/she will summon the first meeting. Minutes from these meetings will be recorded. These will be submitted to the Coordinator for Studies and the Head of the Department.

Assessment Methods

There should be a relation between the aims, content, teaching and learning methods, and assessment of the course. The assessment will form an important part of the actual learning, and act as a means of allowing the individual student to develop understanding of the aims of the course. The assessment will aid the student in acquiring an understanding of concepts and the subject’s special characteristics.

Reviewing and assessing teaching and learning methods, sketches, rough drafts, models and products will reveal the students’ contributions and progression in the course; and provide insight into, and awareness of, their professional advancement and learning. The assessment is also intended as an aid to the individual student in the form of supervision. Students may, for example, receive feedback related to processes and results, and their ability to work together.

Both students and teachers must participate in the course assessment with the aim of further developing the course. The assessment must therefore also include the content and organisation of the course, the student’s own work, and teaching and learning methods through the entire year.

All the assignments must be completed, submitted at the appointed times, and evaluated as passed in order to take the examinations. Students are personally responsible for holding themselves oriented about assignment requirements and deadlines. Missing assignments and failing grades on required elements may affect whether the student may continue with the course or take the examination. This should be viewed in connection with the rights and responsibilities the student has according to the examination regulations at the university college; please refer to the Act Relating to Universities and University Colleges § 40.

The joint theory lectures represent a “passing point”, which requires 80% attendance. Students who do not meet the attendance requirement must write a written assignment on the basis of course literature and course compendiums. The assignment must be approved before the student may be allowed to sit the examination.

The course units will be assessed as pass/fail.

Examination:

Individual written examination; 5-day home assignment

The student will write an assignment with a subject theoretical focus on a given topic. There are specific requirements related to organisation, structure and the student’s ability to use the subject material. The written assignment should include a maximum of 10 pages, using 12-point font and 1.5 line spacing. See ‘Guidelines for Written Work at Telemark University College’.

Final project, 20 ECTS:

Twelve weeks are allocated to a project which carries out an in-depth study of an element of the subject area. The project is done individually and should integrate subject material from the course. The work on the final project should mainly relate to expression using clay. The goal is to allow the student to gain experience in executing independent work on the subject with a research element, and one which will provide an opportunity to specialise in one or several aspects of the subject, as well as develop the student’s ability for analytical and structured work. The result will consist of practical aesthetic work, thorough documentation, relevant theoretical material, and a written report fulfilling the normal requirements for report writing, and a comprehensive presentation.

The choice of topic will be made by the student in agreement with the subject teacher.

The final project has a mandatory requirement for supervision, and the individual student is responsible for contacting the subject teacher and arranging for supervision. Students will, in addition, organise their own syllabus literature related to the project, which should include about 200 pages; the syllabus literature should be referred to in the report.

Weighting:

Individual written examination, 5-day home-assignment 20%

Final project 80%

On the diploma, the title of the final project will be entered. A letter grade will be given, on a scale from A to F, where A is the highest possible grade, and E is the lowest passing grade. Both parts of the examination must receive passing marks before the examination is considered passed. The period of practical training must also be given a passing grade in order to receive a diploma.

Please refer to Telemark University College Examination Regulations for further information.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean