Art and Design Teacher Education – BEd (Hons)

This module examines the relationship between subject knowledge and subject application by engaging with creative practice in parallel with an examination of curricula frameworks for art and design in secondary level.

The module introduces students to practice based inquiry as the basis for curriculum planning and development in art and design. The module takes full advantage of collaborative studio work within the community of practice to reflect on, identify and present innovative approaches to curriculum development where learning is considered from the perspective of knowledge, skills and concepts.

This module will introduce students to the knowledge and practices necessary for students to become confident, articulate, informed, creative and expressive art and design practitioners. The module begins this process by providing students with the stimuli to encourage self-confidence, self-motivation, and an appetite for knowledge, which will drive their creative practice. The learner will attain necessary skills vocabulary and contextual knowledge to progress their practice.

It will be an experiential module where students will be supported to identify and research a concept from a given brief; they will develop their problem solving, risk taking & creativity skills.

The practices encourage creative, innovative and ambitious use of materials, processes and methods. The module enables students to begin to develop their own critical judgement, commitment, motivation and self-reliance.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the disciplines and vocabularies of Art and Design History. To familiarise them with established concepts and themes in art and design history and to introduce students to a range of contemporary issues and debates within visual practice. The module aims to teach students basic skills of looking, speaking, and writing analytically in relation artefacts. It aims to develop the students ability to contextualise their practice.

The aim of this module is to build on the learning from Critical and Contextual Studies 1. To continue to develop students understanding of the disciplines and vocabularies of Art and Design History. To familiarise them with establish concepts and themes in art and design history and to introduce students to a range of contemporary issues and debates within visual practice. It aims to introduce students to concepts relative to the concerns of specific discipline practices

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the knowledge and contextual understanding of selected art and design areas.

The aim is to support students in their choice of their art and design elective specialisation in Year 2 and in their career as art and design teachers. Students will continue to develop their skills in: research; concept development; materials, media and processes; and knowledge and contextual understanding.

During this module students will be introduced to the foundations of the Philosophy and History of Education.
Students will learn about some of the pioneer philosophers in education and critically analyse their impact on the development of education. Students will then be introduced to and examine current educational policies and structure to provide an Irish historical context. Students will critically evaluate key changes and developments in Irish Education, their causes, consequences, aims and effectiveness. Through the model of Living Enquiry, students will reflect on their own educational experience to explore core beliefs and personal values and evaluate how these inform their artist-teacher identity and their understanding of the purpose of education. The ethics of teaching and learning and educational practice will be explored in relation to the code of professional conduct for teachers.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to key concepts in developmental psychology and how young people learn. The module will provide students with a critical understanding of key learning theories, examining behavioural, cognitive and constructivist theories from both a historical and contemporary perspective. Students will gain a critical understanding of relevant aspects of adolescent development and their applications to teaching, learning and assessment.

In this module particular emphasis is placed on pedagogical knowledge regarding digital technologies and ICT in the classroom. The module prioritises an integrated approach to deconstructing art curricula; examining student centred teaching and learning methods and the enhancement of these through use of technology and media platforms. Students will explore the potential of digital technologies to enrich the art and design curriculum in schools. Student will gain awareness of the significance of digital competencies in relation to cyber-ethics; privacy issues, information security and copyright as they challenge their understanding of the relationship between technology and contemporary society.

In this module the developing artist/researcher/teacher identity centers more so on the artist-teacher domain when developing authentic, practice informed design of art and design curriculum. Developing their a/r/tographical research and reflective enquiry skills, the module builds on students practice based inquiry in year 1 and 2 as the basis for curriculum and scheme planning in advance of school placement 1 and 2. This module examines in greater detail, the relationship between subject knowledge and subject application by engaging with creative workshop practices to date in parallel with a full examination of curricula frameworks for junior and senior cycle.

The module takes full advantage of studio work within the community of practice to reflect on, identify and present innovative approaches to art and design curriculum development. As the module runs concurrently with ;Pedagogy in Practice; School Placement 1 , students are provided with an experiential learning environment to implement and reflect on their curriculum ideas to inform further development.

The module introduces students to theories of teaching, learning and assessment and provides a framework of understanding to enable the development of subject pedagogic knowledge. Subject specific approaches to teaching and learning are explored and critically analysed through problem-based learning, microteaching experiences, peer learning and video documentary analysis. This module supports students to prepare for and undertake their first school placement experience in a primary school setting. The premise for this aligns with experiential learning models where the cyclical relationship between theory and practice are investigated to inform the refinement of scheme plans being created in the Module: ;Art and Design Curriculum and Practice.

The aim of this module is to demonstrate the significance of twentieth century art and the contexts from which it emerges, providing students with models of analytical evaluation of the art of the period. To develop students’ critical engagement with significant developments within their practice. To develop students’ ability to participate in debate and discussion in relation to concepts presented in the course, to question contexts in which art/design is created and meanings produced, applying different approaches in the evaluation ideas and artworks/artefacts relevant to a given topic.

The aim of this module is to demonstrate the significance of twentieth century and twenty-first century art and the contexts from which it emerges, providing students with models of analytical evaluation of the art of the period. To demonstrate a variety of methods of critical engagement with art, introducing the idea of an inter-disciplinary approach to the interpretation of works of art and visual culture from diverse periods. To assist students in situating their practice within appropriate contexts. To develop students’ ability to participate in debate and discussion in relation to concepts presented in the course, to question contexts in which art is created and meanings produced, applying different approaches in the evaluation ideas and artworks relevant to a given topic.

The aim of this module is to progress the student’s proficiency in the core skills and knowledge achieved in Stage 1; Fine Art orientated workshops and/or electives, by working in response to a given brief emphasising the following areas:

– Research

– Concept development & contemporary Art making practice

– Materials, Techniques, Skills

– Realisation of completed artefact(s);

Students work to a given brief, which will be linked to the range of materials, techniques, skills and production processes inherent across the range of fine art discipline areas on offer in LSAD.

The aim of this module is to progress the student’s proficiency in the core skills and knowledge achieved in Stage 1; Design orientated workshops and/or electives, by working in response to a design brief emphasising the following areas:

– Research

– Concept development & Design Process

– Materials, Techniques, Skills

– Realisation of completed artefact(s);

Students work to a design brief, which will be linked to the range of materials, techniques, skills and production processes inherent across the range of design discipline areas on offer in LSAD.

The aim of this module is to Introduce students to pedagogical approaches with reference to Inclusive Education policies and practices as set out in the Inclusive Education Framework, developed by the NCSE with reference to NCCA.

Research and group discussion form the basis for this module delivery where students seek out current developments in legislation and school policy documents reflective of the provisions for inclusivity in education. Students are introduced to differentiated learning and inclusivity in art and design teaching and they will be supported to explore both theoretical perspectives and how these align with strategies, to include literacy and numeracy skills when planning scheme and lesson plans to further advance subject pedagogic knowledge from this perspective.

In this module students will be invited to develop their thinking and understanding on the contested nature of the curriculum and policy-making processes in both the national and international arenas. They will become more aware of the influence and increasing significance of national and international organisations on their practice as teachers

In this module particular emphasis is placed on contemporary practices and policy changes regarding Assessment in second level schools in conjunction with curricular changes at both Junior and Senior Cycle.
Students will be supported to design considered pedagogical approaches, digital resources and teaching aids that support the implementation of formative assessment. Students will also examine the creative implications these shifts in assessment culture and habits for students of today’s world and the potential to enrich critical thinking skills through the very nature of the subject of art and design. The sketchbook as a research platform and pedagogical tool is heavily analysed and both creative and reflective practices that support and embed the concept of a/r/tograpgy is core. The module actively draws on students’ school placement experience to contextualise theoretical perspectives on teaching, learning and assessment in art and design from the perspective of contemporary assessment practices.

The module develops a/r/tography as a holistic model of research that emphasises the integrated roles of the artist/teacher/researcher in educational research with students beginning to examine project themes making connections across personal art and design work, curriculum and school/community contexts.

Students will explore the ‘teacher research movement’; situating the teacher as an agent of change students will examine the role of small-scale teacher research in school-based curriculum development. Students will critically appraise approaches to qualitative inquiry and forms of representation and examine the purpose and use of mixed methods in educational research contexts.

Research literacy is central to the module as students become informed critical consumers of research, literature, and multi-modal texts on a range of topics in the field of art and design education.

The module actively draws on students’ school placement experience to contextualise theoretical perspectives on teaching, learning and assessment in art and design to further advance subject pedagogic knowledge from the perspective of Inclusive Education and Special Educational Needs. In advance of school placement 2 students are introduced to classroom-based research undertakings with an emphasis on;
Research Literacy : Establishing a disciplined and systematic approach to gathering data and establishing reflective practice is critical during placement for this module as students track and reflect on the implementation of tailored and adapted teaching and learning strategies relative to the needs of an identified students’ SEN.

Reflective Practice: Subject specific approaches to teaching are critically analysed through reflective practice, analysis and evaluation of placement experiences and reflective evaluation of theories in action.

The aim of this module is to engage students in both individual and group projects that are interdisciplinary in nature. The module requires students to build on the skills and knowledge achieved in Stage 2 in the fine art/design modules they have studied, and to expand on these through (a) a solo project and (b) a group project. These projects allow students to develop further skills in terms of research, concept realisation, presentation, communication, project management and self-assessment and reflection. Students carry out work in studio, and recieve further support from a variety of workshops, demonstrations and lectures across fine art and design disciplines that they may access.

During school placement two, students will build on their experience from school placement one to become more actively involved in the life of the whole school with the support and guidance of the co-operating teacher. Students will become more aware of the roles and responsibilities of teachers and the overarching pastoral and ethical considerations involved in the learning community of a school. During this period of situated learning student teachers will build on prior learning to further develop reflective skills in order to theorise practice in action. The student teacher will continue to work online within the community of practice to become more critically aware of theory/practice issues arising from their situated experiences and gain new insights from collaborative discussion and feedback.

A/r/tographical research and enquiry skills are consolidated in this module as a methodology for undertaking classroom based action research in preparation for school placement three. Students contextualise theoretical perspectives on teaching, learning and assessment to further advance subject pedagogic knowledge to include innovative approaches to project-based learning and group work in the classroom.

Students will refine pedagogical approaches when designing group-work projects; concepts, scheme and lesson plans.

Students will revisit the learning and making experiences of their interdisciplinary studio based practice and evaluate on how the group structure and dynamic influenced / challenged the learning and making experience to inform the development of innovative curriculum plans and resources that support pupil learning in groups and engagement with local industries and personnel.

The aim of this module is enable students to respond to an open brief using three different approaches and realising responses though three different outputs. These outputs can be across the fields of fine art and/or design. The module requires students to build on the skills and knowledge achieved in previous modules while continuing to participate and engage with a variety of processes and media. This becomes the capstone module for fine art and design in this programme, where students utilise all the skills, knowledge and competencies acquired through previous modules and projects in their discipline area and through the preceeding group project. During this module students realise individual studio projects that emphasize greater freedom of experimentation with materials and processes and rigorous research practices that require them to be independent, reflective, critical, analytical, curious and ambitious thinkers and makers.

This module will see student consolidate all facets of artography they experienced on school placement as they analyse and report on the outcomes of their school based research inquiry. Students will be enabled to present the findings of their inquiries in a report format that supports analysis of primary data and articulation of findings in relation to relevant literature in conjunction with an exhibition of the associated creative and making undertakings.
Individual tutorials will support students in learning to synthesise findings from e of research sources, which have been considered in depth. It will consolidate the students’ transferable skills in research, planning, analysis and communication.

During this ten-week school placement students will continue to develop reflective and critical skills focusing on pedagogical issues, challenges, concerns or opportunities derived from their teaching contexts. Engaging a/r/tographical modes of inquiry students will undertake a research project to investigate innovative curriculum interventions involving collaborative project-based learning and digital media and technologies in art and design education. Student teachers will continue to work online within the community of practice to reflect on and discuss ideas for expanding and reconfiguring established art and design curriculum with a view to designing new models of learning for art and design within new and emerging curriculum frameworks at Junior and Senior Cycle levels.

The contiguous identity of artist/designer/teacher implies a relational standpoint. This module will consider schools as social settings (social, glass, gender, ethnicity, diversity, equality of treatment) and as sites for teaching, learning and assessment. Students will interrogate their practice as artists/designer teachers exploring and critically evaluating the potential of art and design practice to function as a transformative medium through which issues of equity, diversity, gender and development education can be meaningfully interrogated.