Open Studio sessions to encourage students to develop greater professionalism in studio work and gain a deeper, shared understanding of assessment with an emphasis on the developmental aspect rather than a grade.
Open studio coordinator, years 2 and 3 students, assessment teams 2 briefing meetings with students before they begin.
Too often students felt assessment in a creative discipline (fine art) was subjective and some aspects were kept secret. Additionally they were unaware of the work of their peers, a valuable source of inspiration for them. The project was set up to enable students to gain a sense of each others work, to be able to see and recognise good work through the convention of the 'open studio'. A convention drawn from the professional fine art world of artists opening up their studios to allow the public to view their work in progress. Students from years 2 and 3 were arranged in shared studio spaces - this had the additional benefit of meaning they had to work together to prepare their shared studio space for the open event, again using skills of value in professional fine art. In the first year of the project internal funding allowed for students to visit open studio events in Newcastle to see what was expected. This year students have had the internal model to follow in addition to two recent graduates who have come in to talk and mentor students. the open studio event takes place on a Tuesday, then work is assessed on the Wednesday/Thursday. This has streamlined assessment as the work is ready and available. the open studio event allows an overview of the whole of the work being created by years 2 and 3 visible, it allows the students to interact and engage with the audience for their work. Final year students have also followed the open studio model, though their work is not assessed and the practice is spreading to postgraduate students as well.
In response to discipline review of assessment and NSS scores.
Yes. The open studio events have been taken up by other groups of students who have seen a benefit to undertaking this task. NSS scores have improved and module evaluations show fewer comments about assessment being unclear.
Open Studio events in Fine Art
Assessment and Feedback, Skills and Employability, Student Engagement
Undergraduate (Stage 2)
Arts and Cultures
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In response to issues