Assignment Guidelines – Art in Society (AAD 450/550)

English: Diagram from the essay “Printing” in “Arts and Crafts Essays” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Assignments and Grading (100 pts. Possible):

1. Student Learning Portfolio assignments

Part A. Post five to seven personal learning objectives for the course on student learning portfolio. Due October 8. 5 points possible.

Part B. Statement of reflection regarding learning objectives posted on blog. Due December 3. 5 points possible.

This reflection should be filtered through the field guide assignment/final project, though should also account for everything you have done/experienced through this course.

2. Course Text

Contribute to a group response essay associated with questions for one of the course modules (i.e. two-week units).

Prior to the first meeting of a given module all students pose thoughts around the central question for a given module, based on materials the instructors have posted. These questions/issues are to be posted as comments responding to prompt posts the day before class meets (eg. Wednesdays). Due October 7 & 21; November 4 & 18. 2.5 points each for a total of 10 points. NOTE: Feel free to look at student work from previous terms for guidance; it is all archived on the course site, and I welcome dialogue with this material.

I will then review student posts and course discussion during the first week of a given module and pose a prompt (s) that student groups assigned to that moudle will address in a 1500 word essay (one essay per group). Supporting media should accompany this essay, and one member of each group will provide an electronic copy to me 1 day before our class meeting in the second week of that module (i.e. by Wednesday of that week). During this second class meeting each of the groups will facilitate a 30 minute discussion on their essay. Due on one of the following dates: October 14 (A groups), October 28 (B groups), November 11 (C groups), and December 2 (D groups) (dates refer to “essay” deadline; discussion facilitation will be on the day of class that week). 20 points for essay and 10 points for facilitation.

NOTE: We will set groups on the first day of class, as well as assign a specific module for each group. We will use a deck of cards to decide groups. Each group is responsible for only one essay!

All students are expected to comment on essays posted to course site/instructional blog, as well as engage in discussion during the group presentations. Presentation format is up to each group, and can range from didactic to interactive, creative to proscriptive.

3. Transmedia Field Guide

Transmedia Field Guide Option 1: Field Guide to an Art World

Part A: Identify an art world practice in 750–1000 words, plus related media material. Post on your student learning portfolio and syndicate to course site or provide us a link. Due: between October 19 and 23 (the sooner the better!). 15 points possible.

Part B: Field Guide based on provided template. Posted to your student learning portfolio with hotlinks and embedded media. This will be the “final project” for our course, and will need to exhibit the rigor of editing and construction associated with such things. The provided template breaks the field guide into sections (required), and you will populate these sections with examples, analysis, and references to outside sources as appropriate. Due December 8. 25 points possible.

TEMPLATE:

Section 1: Introduction to art world/practice = a brief overview that provides key terms, definitions, and historical context

Section 2: Setting = a description of the participants, community, and/or context for the subject introduced in Section 1

Section 3: Transmediations = a narrated tour through a mininum of 7 (seven) transmedia resources that you used to map your subject

Section 4: Analysis = a critical discussion of the art world/practice under investigation that draws on course materials/texts, themes and issues from course discussions, and any relevant outside sources

Part C: One (1) powerpoint/presentation slide along with 5 minute presentation to class.. This slide should consist of an image representing your field guide’s subject matter and no more than three bulleted text bits. We will post these together as a gallery on the course site after the presentations. Due by December 6. 10 points possible.

NOTE: Assignment guidelines can be modified for students not participating in the AAD learning portfolios effort. Assignment 1, for example, can be turned in as hardcopy or via email. See me with questions.

If the definition of ‘art’ and art worlds encompass the world of craft, which I believe it should, an example of an art world that employs collaborative, transmedia communication techniques is the craft of knitting. The world of crafting differs from the traditional art worlds described in the article in that there are many people who consume the raw materials created by a network and infrastructure, not just the ‘artist’ as the pinnacle creator. This type of art world does encompass a complex network of people whose work leads to the construction and consumption of art products, in this case knitted garments.
Knitting is by nature a collaborative craft that relies heavily on a collective intelligence that has historically been shared and perfected through social networks and printed media. The core knowledge of the craft is continual augmented by teaching and publishing new patterns and techniques. The advancement of new technologies has had a profound impact on this art world and art practice. Over the last decade many knitting websites, blogs, youtube.com videos, forums and groups have been created to facilitate the sharing of information and strengthen the collective intelligence surrounding knitting. These online platforms for communication have strengthened what was already an extremely collaborative art practice. In particular the website http://www.ravelry.com has provided a key platform to link and cross reference everything from patterns from a particular designer, to types and brands of yarn. This website and other online platforms have provided the context for many different aspects of the knitting world to come together and literally be catalogued, cross-referenced and reinterpreted. This has changed the entire industry; from the way people have begun to view their own practice of the craft to the businesses involved in sustaining this art world. The transmedia connectivity has been able to give yarn mills, pattern designer and store fronts a way to view reactions to their products, and has created a network for the consumers of these goods to influence what materials are created for them to use in their art practice. This has both created a smarter crafter, or consumer of the materials, and has caused all aspects of the industry behind the craft to try to make more desirable products.
While reading these articles about art worlds and transmedia communication the example of the knitting world kept coming to my mind because I have been involved in that art world both on the business and infrastructure side, and as a crafter. I find it fascinating how transmedia communication itself provides a catalytic for creation, and, in the case of knitting, has reflexively influenced and changed the art world for which and in which it was created.

10 Comments

April 11, 2010
eswartz

I’m having trouble posting my field guide to my blog on WordPress. Is that the platform you AAD’ers are using for your blogs? I can’t seem to make the sub-page I’ve created for the assignment show up on my blog, although it appears in the “edit” field. I’ve triple-checked that it’s set to public, and is set to be “parented” by the appropriate page. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
April 12, 2010
Patricia Morales

I have now posted my Field Guide I assignment to my blog which can be found here: http://aaablogs.uoregon.edu/pmorales/curriculum/arts-in-sustainable-society/
April 12, 2010
Stephanie Moore

Part 1 of my Field Guide is now posted on my blog at this address: http://aaablogs.uoregon.edu/smoore7/curriculum/courses/art-and-sustainable-society/
Pingback: Fieldguide rubric: draft of assessment guidelines
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October 4, 2010
Elizabeth Pedersen

If the definition of ‘art’ and art worlds encompass the world of craft, which I believe it should, an example of an art world that employs collaborative, transmedia communication techniques is the craft of knitting. The world of crafting differs from the traditional art worlds described in the article in that there are many people who consume the raw materials created by a network and infrastructure, not just the ‘artist’ as the pinnacle creator. This type of art world does encompass a complex network of people whose work leads to the construction and consumption of art products, in this case knitted garments.
Knitting is by nature a collaborative craft that relies heavily on a collective intelligence that has historically been shared and perfected through social networks and printed media. The core knowledge of the craft is continual augmented by teaching and publishing new patterns and techniques. The advancement of new technologies has had a profound impact on this art world and art practice. Over the last decade many knitting websites, blogs, youtube.com videos, forums and groups have been created to facilitate the sharing of information and strengthen the collective intelligence surrounding knitting. These online platforms for communication have strengthened what was already an extremely collaborative art practice. In particular the website http://www.ravelry.com has provided a key platform to link and cross reference everything from patterns from a particular designer, to types and brands of yarn. This website and other online platforms have provided the context for many different aspects of the knitting world to come together and literally be catalogued, cross-referenced and reinterpreted. This has changed the entire industry; from the way people have begun to view their own practice of the craft to the businesses involved in sustaining this art world. The transmedia connectivity has been able to give yarn mills, pattern designer and store fronts a way to view reactions to their products, and has created a network for the consumers of these goods to influence what materials are created for them to use in their art practice. This has both created a smarter crafter, or consumer of the materials, and has caused all aspects of the industry behind the craft to try to make more desirable products.
While reading these articles about art worlds and transmedia communication the example of the knitting world kept coming to my mind because I have been involved in that art world both on the business and infrastructure side, and as a crafter. I find it fascinating how transmedia communication itself provides a catalytic for creation, and, in the case of knitting, has reflexively influenced and changed the art world for which and in which it was created.
Pingback: Module 1 essay prompt for Groups A1 & A2
October 13, 2010
Roya

Part A of my field guide is now posted on my ePortfolio at the following address: http://aaablogs.uoregon.edu/roya/curriculum/aad550-art-and-sustainable-society/field-guide-part-a/
November 21, 2010
Jaime Galli

Vote for what cupcakes you want brought to class on Dec 1st: http://culturecakes.wordpress.com/
Pingback: Final presentations…and cupcakes!

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