In this course, students are introduced to the core skills, concepts and terminology fundamental to contemporary arts practices. Students will work both individually and collaboratively to experiment with materials and processes and learn to describe and analyse artworks through critical reflection. Students will be asked to consider First Nations and Indigenous perspectives and a range of social, cultural, ethical and environmental issues contributing to current debates in contemporary arts practice.

This course provides a common foundation for students undertaking the Bachelor of Visual Arts program by orienting students on how to navigate their program of study, the School of Art & Design, and institutional and external learning resources . Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) instruction is an integral part of this course.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. recognise and apply terminology, concepts and core skills fundamental to visual arts practices;
2. work independently and collaboratively to acquire skills and knowledge for use in arts practices;
3. recognise and reflect on Indigenous and First Nations perspectives and cultural contributions;
4. demonstrate an awareness of current debates and relevant social, cultural, ethical and environmental issues in contemporary art;
5. experiment with materials to take aesthetic and conceptual risks; and
6. describe and discuss the studio-based outcomes and artworks by one’s self and others.

Field Trips

National Gallery of Australia in Week 3. Details will be posted on Wattle.

Additional Course Costs

MATERIAL FEE ($35) 

Each workshop sources appropriate specialist?materials,?which are made available to students?to facilitate their working?effectively,?efficiently and safely?within our programs. The School of Art is able to supply materials that don’t compromise ANU obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS), and that have been assessed as suitable for each course. In this course, your supplied materials will include a range of drawing and construction materials that will be provided in class.

The full policy can be viewed here:

http://soad.cass.anu.edu.au/required-resources-and-incidental-fees  

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying remotely, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Week 1 In-Person Lecture/Seminar (9-11am Thursday 23 February): Introduction to Contemporary Art Practice; Course and Program Orientation Weekly In-Person Tutorial (as per your section's schedule): WHS Orientations; Whittling/Crochet making activity and critique
2	Week 2 In-Person Lecture/Seminar (9-11am Thursday 2 March): Speaking of Contemporary Art: terminology, description and critique Weekly In-Person Tutorial (as per your section's schedule): WHS Orientations; Whittling/crochet making activity and critique	Task 1, Response 1 due before lecture
3	Week 3 In-Person Lecture/Seminar (9-11am Thursday 9 March): Indigenous Knowledge, De-colonising endeavours and Museum Practices Weekly In-Person Tutorial (as per your section's schedule): Indigenous-led workshop	Task 1, Response 2 due before lecture Task 2, Folio 1 due by 5pm Friday 10 March
4	Week 4 In-Person Lecture/Seminar (9-11am Thursday 16 March): Body/Figure traditional to digital representations Weekly In-Person Tutorial (as per your section's schedule): Charcoal drawing activities and critique	Task 1, Response 3 due before lecture
5	Week 5 In-Person Lecture/Seminar (9-11am Thursday 23 March): Art Activism: Protest posters, collage, graffiti and more . . . . Weekly In-Person Tutorial (as per your section's schedule): Collage construction activity and critique	Task 1, Response 4 due before lecture
6	Week 6 In-Person Lecture/Seminar> Thursday (9-11am Thursday 30 March): Utopias, Dystopias and Design Fictions Weekly In-Person Tutorial (as per your section's schedule): Cardboard building activity and critique	Task 1, Response 5 due before lecture Task 2, Folio 2 due by 5pm Friday 10 March
7	First Week of Mid-Semester Teaching Break>10am-5pm Monday 03 April - Thursday 06 April): Four-Day Intensive: Cardboard Utopia Group Project	Task 3 to be undertaken and completed during the intensive
8	Post-Intensive: No class meetings	Task 4 due at end of Week 8, by 5pm Friday 28 April.

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Weekly Discussion Forum	10 %	*	*	1, 3, 4, 6
Engagement with Contemporary Arts Practice	40 %	*	*	1-6
Cardboard Utopia: Collaborative Construction	30 %	06/04/2023	12/05/2023	1, 2, 4, 5
Cardboard Utopia: Reporting and Reflection	20 %	28/04/2023	12/05/2023	1, 3, 4, 6

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Weekly Discussion Forum

10% of total course mark

LOs 1, 3, 4, 6

Each week, students will write and post their 100-word reflective response to our course Discussion Forum. Beginning in Week 1, at the end of the weekly lecture, a new prompt/question will appear in the Forum. The prompt/question may require students to read a short posted article, visit a website, or do some independent research to inform their reflection.

The task is marked only as completed and posted or not, and marked only as 100% or 0%. In order to receive 100%, students must make an original post in their own words prior to 9am on Thursday each week. The reflection is intended to prepare students for the upcoming class topic and discussion, thus its value exists as a pre-class exercise. If a student completes the task on time each week, they will receive a 100% for the task, the full 10 points of their overall total course mark (100 point grade scale).

Task 1, response 1 due no later than 8:55am Thursday 2 March (2% of overall course mark)

Task 1, response 2 due no later than 8:55am Thursday 9 March (2% of overall course mark)

Task 1, response 3 due no later than 8:55am Thursday 16 March (2% of overall course mark)

Task 1, response 4 due no later than 8:55am Thursday 23 March (2% of overall course mark)

Task 1, response 5 due no later than 8:55am Thursday 30 March (2% of overall course mark)

Rubric

HD-100%	F-0%
Student succeeds in posting a response of 100 words to the prompt/question prior to class each week	Student fails to post the full 100 word response prior to class
Student post is in student's own words representing their own reflection/response to the prompt/question	Student has posted a response that has been copied, borrowed or plagiarised from elsewhere and presented it as their own work without properly acknowledging/citing the source

Assessment Task 2

Engagement with Contemporary Arts Practice

40% of total course mark

LOs: 1-6

Over the first 6 weeks of the course, students will be presented opportunities to engage with a range of contemporary arts practice materials, methods and concepts through workshop-based tutorials, external inductions, and independent learning. Evidence of engagement with these practices will be documented in two folios due in Week 3 (20%) and Week 6 (20%).

All details of the task and its assessment will be discussed in class and posted to the course Wattle site.

Assessment Task 3

Cardboard Utopia: Collaborative Construction

30% of total course mark

LO's 1, 2, 4, 5

This project occurs in the compulsory studio intensive that runs from 10am Monday 3 April to 5pm Thursday 6 April, the first week of mid-semester break. The project enables students to engage in group collaborations over a concentrated period of time for skills inductions and construction activities in response to the Week 6 topic, Utopias, Dystopias and Design Fictions. The project will include WHS inductions for frequently used tools and equipment, group cooperation, planning and construction using reclaimed cardboard as the primary material to create themed utopian installations that can be of an architectural nature, free-standing or suspended objects, costumes/wearables or anything else that presents an imagined utopian world. Students should document their progress throughout the process with photos, sketches and notes to be used later in the reporting (see Task 4).

Students will have the opportunity to submit a self-evaluation and peer-evaluation that is taken into consideration during marking.

All details of the task and its assessment will be discussed in class and posted to the course Wattle site.

Please note, there will be no more course meetings after Thursday 6 April for the remainder of the semester!

Assessment Task 4

Cardboard Utopia: Reporting and Reflection

20% of total course mark

LO's 1, 3, 4, 6

Following the studio intensive and completion of group construction of Cardboard Utopias, students will individually document, describe, contextualise and reflect on their group's project. The report will include images, critical and reflective writing, and properly cited references as needed. Reporting templates, along with all details of the task and its assessment will be posted to the course Wattle site.

The maximum word count for the report is 1000 words.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students