Clarification details
Updated August 2015. This document has been updated to address new issues that have arisen from moderation.
The intent of this standard
The intent of this standard is that students will demonstrate their understanding of different texts about art by explaining ideas and views expressed by the authors of the texts and identifying interpretations about art.
Texts
Texts are words that have been constructed to provide information or express ideas. Texts may be in the form of written books, articles, reports or they may be multimedia texts such as a film, YouTube clip, etc.
The selection of texts
The selection of texts may be made by the teacher or individual student. Texts must be about art; at the appropriate level for students and provide students with sufficient scope to explain and evaluate the ideas and views expressed by authors. Although, art works may be regarded as texts; for the purposes of this assessment, art works are not to be used as texts.
Supporting evidence
This is evidence from the texts and/or other sources that is used to support the student’s explanations and interpretations. Random quotations and references to texts that are not linked to the required explanations will not contribute to the assessable evidence. Supporting evidence from other sources may include aspects of selected art works, relevant contextual information, or other texts.
Evidence
The ideas and views expressed in texts may be discussed as a class or group exercise, however the assessed response must be individual. Teachers may use a range of activities, e.g. oral presentation, essay etc., however, individual written or recorded responses are required for moderation. Acceptable responses may include notes or annotated images, however, bullet-pointed lists of single words will not provide sufficient evidence for this standard.
Grade level indicators
- An achievement level response will typically consist of explanations of ideas and views expressed by the authors of the texts, and identifications of interpretations about art, using supporting evidence from the texts.
- Merit understanding will be demonstrated by the student’s explanations of links between the ideas and views expressed by the authors of the texts, and interpretations about art, using supporting evidence from the texts and other sources.
- At Excellence, perceptive understanding will be demonstrated by an evaluative discussion leading to conclusions about the significance of the ideas and views expressed by the authors of the texts and interpretations about art, supported by references to the ideas and views expressed in the texts.