Course Objectives

In this course, students will gain experience within the subject field, and develop their ability to recognise opportunities and possibilities offered by creative activity, teaching and dissemination. The course will further develop students’ awareness of the potential and values of the specialisation subject, in which people, learning, culture and environment are vital components. The course will stimulate curiosity, interest in research and joy of the subject, and encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning and learning environment.

Students will:

• develop skills in the use of drawing and images in a pedagogical context.
• expand and develop their skills in the field of drawing, images and communication.
• develop their knowledge and understanding of the subject by working with drawing and images.
• strengthen their visual, aesthetic and communicative skills.
• emphasise practical and theoretical/analytical work with images as a means of acquiring knowledge.
• develop awareness, confidence and independence regarding their ability to express themselves.
• expand their knowledge of art, specifically the area of contemporary art.
• gain knowledge and experience of professional research and development work.
• be challenged to take responsibility for their own learning and learning environment.
• learn to use digital image tools.
• become producers and participants of culture.

Course Description

Drawing and students’ work with images comprises the main focus of the course. The course builds also on the discipline of drawing’s traditions, and also on the subject area of visual communication. The course both integrates and builds on these traditions. Through alternating theory and practice, students will develop their theoretical and practical skills and knowledge. The various elements of the course considered together will contribute to the students’ basic understanding and knowledge for further work with the subject, or enable him/her to further specialise within the subject field of drawing and communication with images.

Course unit 1: Introduction to Drawing and Communicating with Images

Course unit 1 will be concerned with how one can paint, draw or make and evaluate a picture:

• Composition work
• Techniques and methods which one may use in order to learn to draw
• How to work with photography and learning to work independently in the dark room
• Introduction to image processing programmes
• Introduction to elementary calligraphy
• Interpretation and analysis of images
• Introduction to installations

The course unit will in the main consist of introductions to aspects of the subject, and practical exercises and smaller assignments.

Studies of the meaning of images, their formal structure and visual communicative character will characterise this course unit. Although the course unit is in itself didactic, it will also include an introduction to basic didactic theory.

Students will learn to:

• use various principles of composition and understand their purpose.
• use various working methods in various image media.
• use sketches and computer programmes as support for thinking and the development of ideas.
• use observation, imitation, imagination and possibilities in the work with images.
• develop expressive qualities in the relation between intentionality and use of means.
• carry out analysis of various image expressions.

Course unit 2: Drawing and Colour

The course unit concerns how to use colours in pictorial representations:

• how to use colour theory
• how to stretch canvasses and prepare paper
• how to use various types and qualities of ready mixed colours and pigments
• how to draw rough sketches and life drawings using various media
• work with studies and still life

The course unit consists of exercises and larger assignments, in black and white, and colour. Students will be given the opportunity to expand their experience in using materials and techniques. Colour theory will be approached theoretically, practically and didactically.

The student will:

• gain knowledge of colour theory: Goethe, Itten, NCS and other colour theories and systems, and apply this knowledge to practical work.
• experiment with various materials and techniques.
• learn to draw life drawings and gain knowledge of the most important muscle structures and joints.
• be able to model forms in their drawings.
• work with surface aspects in both black and white, and colour.
• be able to depict perspective in drawings using several techniques.
• gain experience in drawing from observation, imitation and imagination.

Course unit 3: Video and Multimedia

Course unit 3 consists mainly of a basic introduction and two assignments which will be solved by using:

Video/multimedia production or image processing. The use of video will involve the use of film grammar, experimental film and video art. Multimedia as an artistic expression or tool for presentation, documentation and dissemination. Image processing as an independent image expression and component in video multimedia production.

The student will be able to understand and use knowledge, both theoretical and practically experienced, in relation to:

creative and experimental use of electronic tools

creative and experimental use of relevant software

the grammar of film and dramaturgy

basic storyboarding

filming/using a camera

elementary video and sound editing

DVD production

the relation between image, text, sound, animation and video in interactive CD

digital animation techniques

digital images as students’ own independent pictorial expressions

principles for use of image processing in video and multimedia

the aesthetics and art form of comics

Course unit 4: Image Project: Thematic images

Project work is an important working method when working with images, also in a didactic context. The work will be personal, investigative and specialise on a part of the subject area, and make students more aware of the processes involved; in brief, it may be termed investigative practical work.

The concept image will in this context also refer to three-dimensional images. In the initial stages of the project, work will be done collectively. At a given point during the process students will make individual thematic choices and decide if they will proceed further with two or three- dimension work.

Course unit 4 will also throw light on:

• how one may carry out an images project
• how a research and development project within our subject field can be executed

Students will be able to:

• visualise thoughts, emotions and ideas.
• adopt a personal mode of expression.
• have knowledge of children and youth’s need to express themselves and the world of images.
• be aware of the interaction between groups and individuals in theme-based teaching.
• have knowledge of the progress and development which is based on an alternation between action and reflection.
• work actively and creatively with images culture.
• study reality through drawing and at the same time learn from others’ pictorial representations of reality.
• analyse and assess their own images and images from our images culture.

Subject didactics

Subject didactics concerns the aims of the programme, and especially drawing and the communicative aspect of images role and the opportunities regarding the teaching of the subject in schools, as well as how teaching should be planned in order to fulfil the intentions of curricula. Students will acquire knowledge regarding pupils’ learning and development in secondary schools. Pedagogical understanding of images forms the basis for the teaching.

Students will:

• find time and opportunities to participate in current subject pedagogical debates.
• work with projects, in the form of ‘investigative practical work’.
• validate their choice of various teaching and learning methods.
• inspire and supervise pupils using active and investigative teaching and learning methods.
• be a responsible, clear and professionally aware adult that pupils can trust.
• work with various teaching planning methods
• make assignments and exercises
• prepare themselves to meet the learning and expressive needs of pupils.
• work with assessment of student work and teaching.
• use portfolio assessment.
• debate and reflect over the values which the subject can contribute to school and society.
• discuss how images may influence our everyday reality and that of children and youth.
• apply subject didactic knowledge and experience from the teaching practice period as a basis for personal and professional growth, critical evaluation and further development of the subject.

Subject didactics will on the whole be integrated into the course, and the content and level of the course will be realised through the current syllabus literature. The subject didactic work and reflection, will also be emphasised through the period of teaching practice and the supervision given by the placement school mentor.

Subject theory

Subject theory is included in all the course units. The study of theory takes a broad approach to the communicative aspect of images, in which drawings and pictorial representations as a phenomenon will be discussed. Arousing interest in images, and appreciating interpretation of images is an important aim of the course.

Students will:

• learn the main characteristics of contemporary art and culture history.
• gain knowledge of the trends in relation to free pictorial expression and graphic design.
• be aware of the historical relationship between various forms of expression such as pictorial art, music and architecture.
• learn about analysis of images.
• gain knowledge of colour theories .
• acquire knowledge of various drawing methods.
• learn about the guidelines and conventions of composition.

Research and development work

This area of study will focus on how knowledge is acquired and developed within the specialisation subject, and the importance of subject renewal. Students will acquire general knowledge with regard to research and development work, and in addition acquire knowledge of how such work is carried out in relation to the specialisation subject. The practical, experimenting, developing and innovative in a professional context forms the essence of the final project, which involves specialisation and de-limitation of a professional aspect or topic.

The student should be able to:

• give an account of the main characteristics of research and development work in relation to the instruction of knowledge and skills regarding drawing and images.
• carry out research and development work by delimiting the field of investigation, formulating problem approaches, using source material and presenting and assessing results.
• formulate the possibilities and needs for renewal within the subject area.
• use the subject in a concrete way in their development work.
• carry out report writing.

Learning Methods

The course is organised into four course units, which are progressively structured; a period of teaching practice; an individual written examination and a final project. The course units prepare and qualify the student for the final written examination and the final project. The final project is an independent project, worth 20 ECTS, on a self-chosen theme.

The course units are:

1 Introduction to Drawing and Communicating with Images	10 ECTS
2 Drawing and Colour	10 ECTS
3 Video og Multimedia	10 ECTS
4 Image Project: Working with Images and Themes	10 ECTS

Subject theory and the didactics, worth 15 ECTS, are integrated in all phases of the course. The content and level of the course will be realised through the current syllabus.

Students will work with various image media, ranging from pencil and charcoal drawings, and photos and digital images . ICT is included as an aid for sourcing information and direct communication, as an all-round tool in various creative processes, and as an independent means of expression.

Presentation is a part of the learning process. Presentations and exhibitions may be oral or audiovisual. Documentation of the creative processes and development work will be emphasised. This work may include written reports as well as photos and videos. During the course of the academic year written work will be submitted either as hard copy or electronically.

The specific aspect of the subject area, the alternation between professional practice and creative activity on the one hand, and a cultural basis, subject theory and subject didactics on the other hand, will be maintained through a holistic approach. Work in a process that is steadily followed up creates an experience of wholeness and progression, and is an essential working method on the route from idea to finished product. Various principles and working methods may be analytical, intuitive, physical and dramatic.

Within each course unit the subject teacher and the students must decide together what to prioritise and emphasise at any time during the course. The course units are not separate parts. The subject area from one unit may throw light on topics from another course unit. Important questions may be tackled from different angles by utilizing of a variety of approaches.

Individual work in the workshop constitutes the main working method, but at times it may also be appropriate to work in groups. The instruction takes place in parallel to the individual completion of assignments, and includes an introduction to practical working methods and subject theory. The interaction between aesthetic and creative activities, theory and reflection constitutes an important and natural working method.

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, and will be supervised by their teachers about half of this time.

Joint Theory

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, Subject Teacher: Education in the Arts. The subject material, which will be presented in these joint seminars, may vary from year to year; consult the syllabus reading list.

Other activities

In periods such as ‘Open Door’, time is taken to take part in course-related outside activities. These will provide experience in meeting the public and mediating topical material though exhibits and oral and audio-visual demonstrations.

Project work, visits to exhibitions, and excursions are also a part of the course. The class will take part in excursions whenever this is appropriate. There may also be visits to exhibitions of interest and/or industrial concerns/businesses 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.

Teaching practice

Three weeks of the academic year is reserved for teaching practice, which is normally associated with the teaching of crafts in upper secondary schools, folk high schools or other pedagogic environments for adults. The course involves the entire country, and the teaching practice may therefore be placed outside the university college’s immediate geographic area. Those students who are not currently studying to be teachers, or have not taken teacher training at an earlier date, will normally be assigned alternative practice.

Students will work in groups during their teaching practice. The school will offer subject related and didactic challenges. Students will cooperate with their teaching practice mentors and subject teachers in planning, executing and evaluating their teaching plans.

Teaching practice reports must be submitted, at the latest, one week after the practice period is completed. Both the teaching practice efforts and the report are used in evaluating the student’s overall performance. A separate document has been drafted which provides details regarding content and requirements of the teaching practice period. The period of teaching practice must receive a passing mark before students receive their diploma.

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.

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 both develop understanding of the aims of the course and to acquire insight into his/ her own suitability for work in the subject area, in relation to individual creative work, and in the context of schools.

The assessment also aims at guiding the students, such guidance may include: the studying process; the result of work carried out during the course; and the cooperation between students and staff.

All the assignments must be completed, submitted at the appointed times, and evaluated as passed in order to take the final graded examinations. Please refer to the Examination Guidelines at the Department of Arts and Crafts regarding pass/fail results in course units and the admission requirements for final assessment. Students are personally responsible for orienting themselves about assignment requirements, other requirements and deadlines. 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.

Assessment - examinations:

Individual written examination; 5-day home assignment

The student will write an assignment based on a given theme. The teaching team is responsible for the selection of the theme, which will be of a subject-theoretical/subject-didactic nature. There are specific requirements related to organisation, structure and the student’s ability to relate the subject material to the theme. See ‘Guidelines for Written Work at Telemark University College’. The written assignment should include a maximum of 10 pages, using 12-point font and 1.5 line spacing.

Final project, 20 ECTS:

Twelve weeks are allocated to a final project which carries out an in-depth study of an element of the subject area. This is the largest assignment which students have to work on during the course. The project first and foremost aims at providing students with an opportunity of professional development or research through practical and creative approaches to the subject area. The final project has a mandatory requirement for supervision, and the individual student is responsible for contacting the subject teacher and arranging supervision. The final shape of the project should aim at creating an integrated presentation, in which the project progress, experiments and results are shown. The work should be documented in a report, which must follow the requirements for report writing, and in which didactic reflection and approach to the material is essential.

The work on the final project should mainly relate to drawing and/or work with images within the context of schools. Students have a free choice regarding the choice from a variety of techniques, materials and tools. The theme topic and approach will determine what is most appropriate in this context. The student will gain experience in executing independent work on the subject with a research element, and be provided with an opportunity to specialise in one or several aspects of the subject.

Students will, in addition, organise their own syllabus literature related to the project, which should include about 200 pages on subjects associated with documentation 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 teaching practice period must 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