FA2HA4: History of Art 4

Module code: FA2HA4

Module provider: Art; School of Arts and Communication Design

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Miss Beverley Bennett, email: b.j.bennett@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module provides you with a rigorous critical forum to consider your own artistic concerns in relation to the experiences of visiting speakers. It aims to equip you with skills and knowledge to compare and analyse a range of contemporary ideas, practices and discourses both through seminar discussion, and theoretical research. The purpose of this module is to develop your communication skills through oral seminar discussion and written presentation and to develop an understanding of the relationship between first-hand account, archival resources and theoretical research. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Develop analysis through first hand engagement with presentations by artists, writers and curators. 
2. Employ theoretical research and seminar discussion to develop and support your analysis.  
3. Construct a critical written argument in response to a given question, drawing on appropriate theoretical research and resources as frames of reference. 
4. Demonstrate the general presentation skills required at Level 5 through the appropriate format of your submission with respect to punctuation, grammar, paragraphing and accuracy. 

Module content

The module content is largely delivered through presentations by guest speakers over the semester which creates a platform for debate about contemporary art practice and its trajectories, through history, theory and politics. Relevant readings will be made available in advance to help you prepare for interaction with the ideas that presenters put forward. The content of the talks will provide a focus for seminar discussion to facilitate the analyse of convergences and differences in content, themes, methods and styles. Following the seminars, through theoretical and archival research you will extend your enquiry to link the talks to (or contrast them with) trajectories in the wider contexts of contemporary art. First hand-research will be extended through exhibition visits. An introductory lecture and writing workshops will sign-post and develop research and writing skills. You will develop written responses to the talks and discussions with and/or about each speaker. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Acquisition: Attend Artist Talks and module lectures and read assigned texts. 

Reflection: Record reflections in research journal and share reflections in seminar discussions  

Collaboration: peer learning through seminar discussions and mid-module peer review formative assessment  

Practice: Research journal provides space for preliminary research, lecture notes, seminar notes, reflections and extended research  

Production: summarising the outcome of the seminars, use acquired knowledge to draft essay question and arrange material into a coherent written argument   

Enquiry: Develop an argument that analyses and compares the artists talks supported with theoretical, archival and historical texts identified through critical research.

Discussion: face to face discussions in seminar utilising pair and share to facilitate asynchronous discussion. 

Assessment points, briefs and deadlines are introduced at the start of the module. 

Study hours

At least 30 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

1. Mid-module peer review of Research Journal 
2. Research Journal and Essay Plan 

Reassessment

Additional costs