Assessment criteria for the Visual Arts at OCA

1
st

2.1 2.2 3rd Fail
Weighting A+ 85%+
Exceptional
A 70-84%
Excellent
B 60-69%
Very good
C 50-59%
Good/Average
D 40-49%
Satisfactory
E 30-39%
Limited
F 29% or
below
Inadequate

Demonstrati on of
techni cal and Vi sual Skil ls
Materials, techniques,
observational skills, visual
awareness, design and
compositional skills
Level 4
40%

Level 5
35%

Level 6
30%
Outstanding technical and
visual skills


Complete fluency of
technical and visual
skills
Very competent
technical and visual skills
Competent technical
and visual skills
Adequate technical
and visual skills
Limited technical and
visual skills
Inadequate
technical and visual
skills
Quality of Out come
Content, application of
knowledge, presentation of
work in a coherent manner,
discernment,
conceptualisation of
thoughts,
communication of ideas
Level 4
20%

Level 5
20%

Level 6
20%
Outstanding work
presented in a highly
professional way and
communicates with flair.

Outstanding grasp of
ideas and
communication of visual
ideas*
Highly effective work
presented in a
professional way,
showing strong
judgement.

Highly effective grasp of
ideas and
communication of
visual ideas*
Competent realisation of
ideas, presented well,
showing consistency in
judgement.

Effective grasp of ideas
and communication of
visual ideas*
Competent realisation of
ideas, presented well,
showing judgement

Reasonably effective
grasp of ideas and
communication of visual
ideas*
Adequate realisation
of ideas and
satisfactory
presentation of work

Limited grasp of
ideas and
communication of
visual ideas*
Poor work and
presentation

Lack of
conceptualisation* or
communication of
visual ideas*
Inadequate work
and presentation

Complete lack of
conceptualisation*
or communication
of visual ideas*


Demonstrati on of
Creativity
Imagination,
experimentation, invention,
development of a personal
voice
Level 4
20%

Level 5
25%

Level 6
30%
Highly creative, takes
risks with imaginative and
successful outcomes,
powerful evidence of
personal voice*
Strongly creative, takes
risks with many
imaginative and
successful outcomes,
strong evidence of
personal voice*
Creative, takes risks with
imaginative and
successful outcomes,
evidence of a developing
personal voice*
Some evidence of
creativity, little evidence
of risk-taking, with a few
imaginative outcomes,
some evidence of a
developing personal
voice*
Some evidence of
creativity, little risk
taking with few
imaginative
outcomes, struggling
to find a personal
voice.
Limited evidence of
creativity, no risk
taking or imaginative
outcomes, no
personal voice.
Inadequate
evidence of
creativity.
Context
Reflection, research, critical
thinking* (learning logs and,
at levels 5 and 6, critical
reviews and essays)
Level 4
20%

Level 5
20%

Level 6
20%
Highly articulate and self
aware, extensively and
thoroughly researched,
demonstrating a highly
developed intellectual
understanding
Very articulate and self
aware, very well
researched,
demonstrating a
developed intellectual
understanding
Articulate and self aware,
good range of research,
demonstrating a
developing intellectual
understanding
Evidence of self-
reflection and research,
and satisfactory ability to
analyse and synthesise
information.
Variable levels of self-
reflection and
research, and poor
analysis and
synthesis of
information.

Limited self-reflection
or research, and no
analysis or synthesis
of information.
Inadequate
research or
evidence of critical
thinking.

These assessment criteria should be used in conjunction with the level descriptions as described overleaf:


Feedback at different levels
Different feedback is needed at each level. Students at Level 4, for example, shouldnt be criticised for not having found their own personal artistic voice. Similarly students at Level 6 should be expected to
know how to keep sketchbooks and learning logs.

Level 4 is about laying the foundations. The emphasis is on the acquisition of skills and good working habits, such as the keeping of sketchbooks and learning logs. Its about students informing themselves
about others work by reading and viewing exhibitions, etc. At this level, they are not expected to have developed a great deal of autonomy or have found a strong personal (visual) language -- if they have
already done so, this is a bonus. Feedback at Level 4 should focus on their success in acquiring the necessary skills and working habits, at the same time encouraging the student to push their limits.

At Level 5 the student continues to improve their skills and the quality of their work. But at this level, they should be starting to develop a personal visual language or voice and to choose the direction of their
work in consultation with their tutor. This means that in addition to skills, your feedback should reflect back to the student whether they are taking enough responsibility for the shaping of their own work,
whether they are doing enough reading and or viewing of other artists' work and whether they are clearly articulating their own views and backing themup with reasoned arguments.

Level 6 is about the transition from being a self-motivated student to becoming a self-motivated and independent artist (or photographer, textile artist, designer maker, writer or musician. The expectation is
that the quality of work will continue to improve, and the student can demonstrate evidence of inventiveness, aesthetic judgement, as well as originality and independence. They should be developing their
understanding of the professional arena they aspire to move into and developing their intellectual understanding of the theory and concepts underpinning their discipline.