Art

With reference to the AQA Art & Design GCSE, students can follow an Unendorsed syllabus covering a wide range of practices, or Endorsed syllabuses such as Three-Dimensional Design which could include practical and critical/contextual work in ceramics, sculpture, theatre, television, film and/or exhibition design, jewellery, interior, product or environmental design; or Graphic Design which could include practical and critical/contextual work in computer-aided design (CAD), illustration, advertising, packaging, digital imaging, film, video or animation. Both of these have relevance to the Adapt project.

All art and design courses encourage candidates to develop:

a. creative and imaginative powers, and the practical skills for communicating and expressing ideas, feelings and meanings in art, craft and design;
b. investigative, analytical, experimental and interpretative capabilities, aesthetic understanding and critical skills;
c. understanding of codes and conventions of art, craft and design and awareness of contexts in which they operate;
d. knowledge and understanding of art, craft and design in contemporary societies and in other times and cultures.

In many ways these assessment objectives sum up the elements and domains of the cluster of creative processes which are characteristic of Art and Design. In the Adapt project the students were able to record observations, experiences and ideas in sketch form and on-screen. They were able to analyse and evaluate images, objects and artefacts shown in the artist's introductory lesson and develop an understanding of their context. They were able to develop and explore their ideas using ICT media, processes and resources, reviewing, modifying and refining work as it progressed. They presented their personal response verbally and in design drawings and virtual models, realising their intentions and making informed connections with the work of Franz West, the artists featured in the presentation, and Katharine Willis's own work.

In relation to the use of ICT in Art and Design the syllabus states that:

...candidates will have opportunities to apply and develop their ICT capabilities through the practical use of ICT tools to support their learning and to communicate images and ideas. When researching or developing work for coursework units or for the Controlled Test, candidates may choose to use ICT as a means of investigating information, layering or manipulating images or as an end in itself. They might use CD ROM, CAD/paint programs, digital imaging, a scanner, word processing or the Internet. Any of these might be used to consider a variety of alternatives, or as part of the design process, or as a learning experience in its own right.

The level to which the use of ICT is developed will depend in part upon the teaching styles, methods and processes used to deliver the subject content in the chosen areas of study, the opportunities available in the centre and the abilities of the candidates.