How can assessments be designed in a way that authentically show the layered evidence inherent in arts-based learning?

Kristina Lamour Sansone Associate Professor, DesignThe Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University

Lisa DonovanDivison Director, Creative Arts in LearningThe School of Education at Lesley University

NAEA 2011, Seattle

Documentation must become a central part of our work in education. So often, significant learning goals are met when students are exploring ideas [through arts based inquiry such as drawing, making videos, creating models, dramatizing stories and in other forms of investigation)] but not fully realized because there is often too much data in a variety of forms to show the layers of learning happening “in the moment.” We must find ways to make visible the power and nuance of this work in ways that can change what counts as appropriate tools for assessment.

Example 1: Mastway Elementary School David McCormick’s 4th grade Lee, New Hampshire

The learning goal from David’s perspective

The objective for the whole thing — it’s very dry. The objectives for the whole unit are understanding the history of the Lamprey River. If you ever see the Lamprey River, it’s about as wide as this classroom at its widest. It’s probably about this deep. But historically it had an impact in this area. It was traveled during colonial times. The work that’s led up to this is we’ve talked about food chains and habitats and changing environment and changing where the animal lives and all that.

So trying to get [students] to see — to understand not only the animal, but also the river and the habitat… that’s…the overall goal. But also, I’m trying to get them — we’re working a lot on their objectives in writing and descriptive writing. And…once we get going, we’ll be doing a lot of dialogue and how to write that.

In arts-integration there is often a cumbersome stack of contact sheets, field notes interview transcripts, classroom discussion, and video data.

ALL show aspects of the learning going on.

How do we select the most salient data, prioritize it and then design assessment that consider various perspectives?

teacher transformation

teacher before arts integration

show examples of teaching processes, environment, risk-taking before and after

teacher after arts integration

mirrored processes

a teacher’s lifespan

his own witnessing in students

content area

Example 2: The Charles Sumner School3rd grade classroom Roslindale, Massachusetts

Example 3Monument Mountain High SchoolDance Integration

How can the design of documentation provide a feedback loop tool for the student and for the teacher? For the multiple skateholders?

How can documentation serve to make visible all that has occurred in learning? This includes the planned objectives but also other interesting connections and discoveries.

How can graphic design process help to steer the reading we want of the in-depth learning experience including where the learning goals are met?