The bulk of our nine summer meetings were spent developing a common language for what is meant by theory and practice in Visual Arts and using that to articulate Program Learning Outcomes. Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) are statements about what a student must be able to demonstrate to be granted a degree. For example, the PLO:
“Describe the concepts, theories, practices and methodologies used for the critical analysis of visual art forms including visual communication, design, and material culture, and identify these in an existing body of work.”
describes the skills, competencies and attitudes that students would develop over fours years in the degree plan that are related to critical analysis. The wording of PLOs can sound odd because it draws on the language used in educational design, but they are the articulation of what a degree plan provides to students. The table below shows the ten Program Learning Outcomes developed by the committee as well as how they align with provincially mandated degree level expectations.
| Degree Level Expectations | Program Level Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|
| Depth and Breadth of Knowledge | PLO1 | 1. Describe the concepts, theories, practices and methodologies used for the critical analysis of visual art forms including visual communication, design, and material culture, and identify these in an existing body of work. |
| PLO2 | 2. Explain and evaluate the principles behind how visual art forms convey insight into diverse ways of seeing and understanding the world through diverse art practices, traditions, and genres, including Indigenous and non-western perspectives. | |
| Knowledge of Methodologies | PLO3 | 3. Examine multiple approaches to a creative goal and evaluate the appropriateness of each using the concepts, practices and theories of critical analysis in visual art forms. |
| PLO4 | 4. Explain and defend the expected potential and unforeseen implications of one’s own work in various publics. | |
| Application of Knowledge | PLO5 | 5. Create original artwork with critical self-reflection that demonstrates an intentional process from idea through to final work representing one's technical and artistic abilities within and across mediums. |
| PLO6 | 6. Employ steps in the process of art creation, develop a statement of goals and use prototyping, research and self-reflective practice to make intentional decisions as part of the process. | |
| Communication Skills | PLO7 | 7. Demonstrate the appropriate use of communication practices to convey ideas to a broad and diverse audience and articulate questions, theses, and arguments about topics in visual arts in oral and written formats. |
| Awareness of Limits of Knowledge | PLO8 | 8. Recognize gaps and identify limitations of one’s knowledge of visual arts practices and actively build the knowledge needed to position one’s artistic practice more fully in the present context. |
| Autonomy and Professional Capacity | PLO9 | 9. Generate and pursue opportunities to expand knowledge and skills and interact with others in a positive and productive manner, making contributions to support collective learning environments, take responsible actions to address ethical and, social challenges. |
| PLO10 | 10. Develop professional skills such as the ability to manage projects and time, building business models, artist rights, grant and resume writing and networking. | |
To help see some of the thinking behind the statements, we’ve also included a set of our rough notes that were created as part of the process of developing the PLOs.