Visual Arts Assessment

Assessment in the Visual Arts Class Assessment is an everyday part of life in a school setting. Teachers are required to assess all different types of assignments and activities. These assessments can differ depending on the subject area being graded or even on the type of assignment within the same subject. The visual arts classroom is one where assessments need help being defined. Art is very subjective and there is often not a clear or accurate way to assess how a student performed on a project. Formative assessment in the visual arts classroom can lead to success for the students.

Review of the Literature

Why Educators Assess According to Carolyn Coil assessment is defined as collecting data by any means available (Coil, 2014) and

When research focuses on the student’s experience of assessment they see a different picture on how the student believes they did and also how the assessment influenced them on future projects (McKillop, 2006). These findings are not ones that are quantitative or even able to be defined but they are an important part in the art making process. For a student to be able to stand back and look at their work subjectively is a large step in the total art process. If a student begins to feel negatively towards assessment, they might be more cautious in their art and it can affect their creativity (Gruber, 2008). Even with the concerns over whether or not assessment has a negative impact on students, 82% of art teachers agreed that they see a need for some form of assessment (Dorn, Madeja, & Sabol,

Assessment, on the other hand, refers to more tightly focused measurements at the level of the individual student and his or her interactions within the art program. Assessment, therefore, measures student learning and evaluation measures program efficacy. The classical approach to determining grades in art found the terms assessment and evaluation used inter changeably. However, the two terms have now been clearly defined as to their appropriate use and context. According to the National Art Education Visual Arts Standards, evaluation encompasses the global aspects of the curric ulum. Assessment, on the other hand, refers to more tightly focused measurements at the level of the individual student and his or her interactions within the art program. Assessment, therefore, measures student learning and evaluation measures program efficacy. For the purposes of this article, assessment will be the primary focus of measurements of student learning. Currently, educational accountability underscores the need for reliable assessment and evaluation to support innovations in curriculum design, instructional methods, program funding, and the appraisal of student achieve ment. In addition, there are pressures associated with the No Child Left Behind