My first discussion post for one of my classes…
I was initially very intimidated in reading the entries of my classmates. Reading through them, I’m inspired again by the level of commitment and work teaching requires, and how dedicated and selfless so many of the educators in my own life are to their students. For several hours, I tossed paper after paper of ideas, questions to myself, outlines of potential responses, and vocabulary definitions before I realized that I was implementing all the procedural knowledge I had acquired in my elementary and middle school education and refined with additional education in my readings for this class.
I’m not so brave as to undertake public school teaching, but I implement assessment and curriculum with my interns in my job as a graphic designer. My interns are all Fine Arts undergraduates, ranging in specialized skills such as Public Relations, Photography, and Graphic Design. They apply because they are seeking credit as part of their graduation requirements or as a means of gaining in-field experience, which offers a different environment from that instituted in their college curriculums.
The differences that exist between our office and undergraduate classroom are not the only challenges we face in assessing and educating our students. Our student demographic is diverse both in undergraduate major and level of education completed. Currently in our office we have 1 sophomore Public Relations Major, 2 Senior Graphic Designers, a post-graduate Photography student, and 1 Junior Graphic Designer, who also attends a different school than the other designers. The challenge this presents is that there is no fair way, or easily implemented standard in order to establish a baseline, median or really any level of expected skill level.
Their first means of assessment is their interview. Comprehensive questions are asked regarding their basic levels of computer literacy and software applications. This pertains mostly to the use and efficiency in operating Adobe Creative Suite and printing equipment. Once competency has been established, a separate set of undergraduate major specified skills are addressed. This is where we first identify the necessary components of a self-regulated learner. For example, the minimum expectations for a graphic designer entering our internship program is class work portfolio examples exemplifying knowledgeable typographic solutions, clear visual communication in their solutions to their assigned problems and flawless production, printing, and assembling their work. The portfolio is key not only to our organization, but the industry as a whole as a means of assessment.
Once hired based on the success of the interview, a separate assessment process begins to attain the level of skill or specialized skill the intern may have for any one area. They are also assessed on their abilities to meet deadlines, communicate directly with clients, the overall success and revision rate they have for every project, and their ability to multi-task and manage more than one assignment at any one time. This allows us not only to focus formative assessment and additional instruction on things they may have trouble with or are not able to do as well as other interns, but areas that they excel in. The strong points allow them to feel that certain media, clients, and assignments are their specialization, their focus and their expertise, while expanding their abilities with further questions, extra tutorials or revised projects to strengthen the skills they seek to improve.
One great success I’ve had since entering the firm is the implementation of a values-based design methodology into our working classroom. Values-based design is not something I created, but was taught in my undergraduate degree, and is heavily touted by founding members of the Graphic Design Community. Based on the “First Things First” manifesto originally written in 1963 by Ken Garland, it was revitalized and signed by modern industry leaders in 2000. It asserts that our work is not to be values neutral, and that every decision be made with critical purpose and a message to communicate successfully to the viewer, even in a highly commercial environment. Students are required to explain the decisions made in visual communication and technical construction, and an answer of “I don’t know” is not acceptable. This has been a successful means of assessment as students in conversation and writing are required to explain with purpose their visual decisions and technical processes. It not only helps them self assess, but is a means of educating other students as to new techniques or diversity in message and solution for one problem.
The great area I see us dropping in the ball is fully implementing values-based design and using the results and successes of the students to push them forward into new challenges and means of self-judgment, self-observation, and self-reaction. Far too often, because of scheduling we can’t take the solutions and final products, and relate them to other real examples or artists in the industry who are pushing the same envelope. We are also limited by our client needs and needed approval to always allow them to be liberal in their solutions and free in expressing or exploring things they are interested in or trying to communicate. Branding for our company and the success of its primary mission takes precedent over the students’ education, a far too common problem in the industry as a whole. Currently we are in talks to further our program and its educational value by offering optional tutorial classes and portfolio sessions. Portfolios are a key way in assessing our interns for our own purpose, but it will also be vital for them as they near graduation and enter the job market. This Authentic Learning Assessment will truly allow us to critique and communicate with students about their competency, confidence, and success as a result of our program components and initiatives, and the tutorials will be a fun way to encourage metacognition in a collaborative social environment where they can continue to communicate and learn from one another.
This class is exactly what I need to further my education and success of my career. I look forward to communicating with you all, and hope to hear any and all feedback.
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