THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

Department of Social Work and Social Administration

CCHU9044 Creative Arts as a Way of Knowing

COURSE OUTLINE

Academic Year: 2019/2020

Course Coordinator
Name: Prof. Rainbow Ho Office: Rm 542, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus
Tel: 3917 0506 Email: tinho@hku.hk

Name: Ms. Julia Byrne Office: Centre on Behavioral Health, 5 Sassoon Rd

Tel: 2831 5158 Email: jbyrne@hku.hk

Course Tutors
Name: Ms. Priscilla Sham Office: Rm 567, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus
Tel: 3917 1296 Email: shampris@hku.hk

Name: Ms. Janet Moo Tein Ni Office: 7th Floor, Jockey Club Tower
Email: teinni@connect.hku.hk

Name: Ms. Karen Barajas Office: 7th Floor, Jockey Club Tower
Email: anakarengbarajas@gmail.com

Basic Course Information

1. Course Code: CCHU9044

2. Course Title: Creative Arts as a Way of Knowing

3. Enrolment Information: Common Core for UG students

4. Number of credits: 6

5. Enrolment Quota: _120______

6. Contact Hours (see Appendix 1 for time table):

Lecture hours: _2_ hrs x _12___ sessions
Tutorial hours: _2__ hrs x _4___ sessions

7. Duration of Course: Single Semester

8. Required Pre-requisites: NA

9. Course Description:
Understanding human existence and the world is broader than scientific comprehension. In every culture and
moment of history, expression of the human experience is based as much in literal and verbal discourses as it is in
the arts. Visual arts, music, dance, drama, poetry, and literature have provided imagery to document, explore and
understand life. The symbolic and multiple possible meanings conveyed through both viewing and creating art
offers enormous space in which imagination and creativity can be cultivated for knowledge. A guiding question
throughout this course is, “How do the creative arts increase our ability to know more about the world, others, and
ourselves?” Beginning with the roots of art expression in ritual settings offers an approach to seeing art as innate
to the human experience, particularly in bringing order, making meaning and transforming the ordinary. This
same urge to create allows us to appreciate the arts for expressing emotion, sharing thoughts, and reflecting on
attitudes. As such, the arts serve as a vehicle for enhancing an empathic and intimate understanding of others and
oneself. Engaging in creative arts offers unlimited access to unique, non-verbal, and sometimes unconscious
content of human experience, thereby promoting world, other and self-understanding.

Course Website: http://cchu9044.sw.hku.hk

1
10. Course Objectives:
a. Present multi-disciplinary theories, practices and research to develop holistic understanding as to how both
viewing and engaging in the arts promotes world, other and self-understanding

b. Demonstrate how active engagement with the arts broadens awareness and capacity for imagination that can
be applied more generally beyond the arts

c. Appreciate how the arts provide alternate ways to educate, inform and raise awareness

11. Attendance Requirement: 80% for lectures and 100% for Tutorials

12. Assessment Ratio: 100% Coursework and 0% Examination

Learning Outcomes, Teaching and Learning Activities and Assessment

13. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

On the completion of the course, student will be able to:
a. Acquire knowledge, as well as, describe and explain the intersection of anthropological, neuroscientific,
psychological and aesthetic philosophical theories as they influence understanding of arts as a way of
knowing to facilitate students to examine critically how social divisions are shaped

b. Articulate the value of engaging the arts as a means of knowing as it promotes creativity, imagination,
subjective awareness and multileveled interpretations to encourage students to search for alternative ways of
thinking and actions in dealing with social divisions.

c. Respect and appreciate the various ways in which the arts can be used to increase awareness of global issues
and concerns, foster interpersonal relationships and facilitate self-actualization

d. Demonstrate increased awareness and critical understanding of the world, others, and self, as a result of
direct participation in the process of individual and/or group creative arts expressions

14. Teaching and Learning Activities (TLAs)

TLA1: Interactive lectures
¨ Lectures
¨ In-class exercises
¨ In-class discussions

TLA2: Tutorials
¨ Experiential activities
¨ Group presentation

TLA3: Group project and outside-classroom activities

¨ Group discussions
¨ Group presentation
¨ Field visits (creative arts exhibition/performances)

15. Assessment Ratio

Assessment Tasks Weighting

Attendance and active participation (TLA 1 and 2) 20%
In-class Quiz (TLA 1) 20%
Essay on Performance or Exhibition (TLA 3) 30%
Group Creative Arts Project (TLA 3) 30%

2
16. Assessment Details (please refer to Appendix 2 for Grading Criteria)

AT1: Attendance and active participation (20%)

Students are expected to participate actively in in-class discussions and tutorials. Weekly lectures are intended to
both present information, but also to generate participation. The objective of the tutorials is to help students digest
and apply the knowledge they learned from the classes through experiential learning. There are 4 tutorials over
the course of the semester. Tutorials begin during week 3 and will continue biweekly (every other week).

Tutorials 1, 2, and 4 will be held in the arts studios at the Centre on Behavioral Health, 2/F Hong Kong Jockey
Club Building for Interdisciplinary Research, 5 Sassoon Road (10 minute bus ride from the main campus).
Tutorial 3 will be held at the University Museum and Art Gallery. Please refer to Appendix 1 for more details
on tutorial arrangement. Post-museum visit questionnaire for Tutorial 3 must be submitted on Moodle by 17 April,
2020 (Friday), 23:59.

AT2: In-class Quiz (20%)

Students are expected to complete 10 in-class quizzes starting from week 3. The format will be in MC (multiple
choices) and short questions. The content of each quiz will be based on the lecture on the same day.

AT3: Group Creative Arts Project (30%)

In the Group Creative Arts Project, students will work in small group (6-8 persons) to design and develop a
creative arts project that shows how arts can be used creatively in developing understanding of the world.
Students are encouraged to explore and express societal concerns on various issues through arts in the project.
Project topics could be, but not limit to, environmental issues, political issues, religious issues, human lives and
community concerns, social welfare concerns, etc. Examples of topics may include:
• A drama reflecting the misconception of mental illness;
• A dance showing the effects of internet addiction;
• Art exhibition reflecting the concern of air pollution;
• Songs and music expressing the life of people in lower socio-economic conditions;
• …

In-class presentations will be in the format of a 4 minute video (including the reflective statement) that
documents the arts project. There will be a screening session and sharing for all the group performances during
the last lecture (November 28, 2018).During the screening, videos will be shown in succession. There will be no
in-class presentations, but students in the audience will submit feedback and responses to each video.

Details:
Students may use a single art modality or a combination of art modalities (visual art, dance, drama, poetry,
creative writing, music,…). Students are strongly encouraged to use arts in a creative and meaningful way. Arts
should not be simply included in the project as a random activity, but to serve as the purpose of presenting and
expressing key messages.

The video should include the following:

• Arts project or performance: The format can be a recording of the performance/ exhibit, documentary style
video or another creative presentation. Students should pay attention to the aesthetics of their video in terms
of what people wear, background or setting, sound quality and lighting, etc.
• Reflective statement: introduce and/or summarize the arts project (maximum of 2 minutes)

Video Submission
There are three ways that you can submit your video: 1) through Dropbox; 2) through Google Drive; OR 3)
burning your video to a DVD and submitting it to Priscilla. The deadline for video submission is 22 April, 2020
(Wednesday), 23:59.

1) Through Dropbox
If you are new to Dropbox, you may visit their website for more details: https://www.dropbox.com/gs.
Please submit your video according to the following step:
1. Install Dropbox in your computer
2. Drag the video in the public folder

3
 3. Generate a public link to your file in your public folder.
4. Email to shampris@hku.hk. In the email, please state:
A. Your tutorial group
B. The list of your group members, containing: Student IDs, full names and email addresses
C. The public link to your video file

2) Through Google Drive

Email the sharable link to shampris@hku.hk. In the email, please state:
A. Your tutorial group
B. The list of your group members, containing: Student IDs, full names and email addresses
C. The public link to your video file

3) Burn your video in a DVD and submit it to Priscilla

If you find it more time-consuming to sync the video file online, you may choose to burn your video in a DVD
and submit it to pigeon hole No. 56 outside Room 534, 5/F, Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus by 22 April,
2020 (Wednesday), 23:59.

*Please write “To Priscilla” on the envelop of the DVD before submitting it to the pigeon hole. On the DVD,
please also write down your tutorial group. Please enclose a list of your group members, containing: Student IDs,
full names and email addresses.

Other Reminders:
1. If your group has already finished the video and you would like to submit it through Dropbox or Google
Drive, do try to submit it as early as possible, as it is quite time-consuming to download all the videos and
do the compilation for the screening.
2. Before submission, please make sure that your video format is either .mp4 or .wmv format and the file size
should be no larger than 1 GB.

AT4: Reflective Essay on Performance or Exhibition (30%)

Students will attend a creative arts performance or exhibition of their choosing (outside of class time) and submit
a reflective essay (around 1500-2000 words) pertaining to their experience. The essay will consist of a brief
description of the performance/exhibition, together with a detailed account of their experience as it relates to
material and theories discussed in class. Rather than write a critique, students will focus on the feelings, thoughts,
sensations, and memories evoked in order to offer what they learned from the performance or exhibition as it
relates to their understanding of self, other, and/or world understanding. The focus should be more on how you
gain new understanding about yourself, others OR the world through the medium of art. DO NOT write about
your comments merely on the content of the performance/exhibition, but more on your connection with the art
piece and the understanding that is gained from it.

Details:
Students should attend an exhibit or performance specifically for this assignment, rather than reflecting on a past
exhibit or performance. This will allow for approaching the assignment using the framework of relational
aesthetics as discussed in Lecture 3.

The essay should include two distinct parts:

1. Exhibit or Performance Description: Students should first describe the exhibit or description in a concise
and objective manner in order to inform the instructors on what they attended. Some details to include are:
title and description of exhibit or performance, location, date, artist and/or curator, etc. (around 300-500
words or one-third of the overall paper)

2. Exhibit or Performance Reflection: Students should describe their reactions and responses to the exhibit or
performance by focusing on how the exhibit or performance increased their understanding of the world,
others and/or self. Students DO NOT need to describe all three areas (world, others, self). Some questions to
guide your reflection are:

• What caught your attention the most? Why?

• How did you feel when you were watching/listening to this exhibit or performance? How did you notice
such feelings?

4
 • How did you react to these feelings?

• What were you thinking when you were watching/listening to this exhibit or performance? How did
these thoughts provoke new insights?

• What did this exhibit or performance say to you?

• In what way did this exhibit or performance affect your understanding of the world? (For example,
significant social issues, diverse social and cultural groups, common human experiences, etc.)

• In what way did this exhibit or performance affect your understanding of others? (For example, the
artists, family members, friends, etc.)

• In what way did this exhibit or performance affect your understanding of yourself? (For example, your
own life styles, values, bias, etc.)

• How might this exhibit or performance influence your future life in various contexts (For example,
learning, intimate relationships, career development, etc.)?

Choice of performance/exhibition
You are STRONGLY SUGGESTED to go to a current live performance or an art exhibition, rather than going
online to watch a video clip of a past performance. The atmosphere of a live show would be quite different from
watching a clip at home. Try not to write about a performance//exhibition that you went to before. We want you
to have a brand new experience in that after you learnt something from the course.

The deadline for the reflective essay is 8 May, 2020 (Friday), 23:59. It should be submitted on Turnitin through
Moodle.

17. Important dates

Tasks Time/ Deadline

1) Tutorial registration Strat: 22 January, 2020 (Wednesday), 18:30
End: 6 February, 2020 (Thursday), 18:30

2) Museum Visit Questionnaire Deadline: 17 April, 2020 (Friday), 23:59

3) Group Creative Arts Project – Deadline: 22 April, 2020 (Wednesday), 23:59

Video Submission
4) Reflective Essay on Performance Deadline: 8 May, 2020 (Friday), 23:59
or Exhibition

18. Penalty for late submission

Late for % of marks to be deducted

1 day 10%

2 days 20%
3 days 30%
4 days 40%

5 days 50%
6 days 60%

7 days 70%

More than 7 days No mark will be given

5
19. Standards of Assessment
A+, A, A-(High distinction) Strong evidence of superb ability to fulfill the intended learning
outcomes of the course at all levels of learning: describe, apply, evaluate, and synthesize
B+, B, B- (Distinction) Strong evidence of the ability to fulfill the intended learning
outcomes of the course at all levels of learning: describe, apply, evaluate, and synthesize
C+, C, C- (Credit pass) Evidence of adequate ability to fulfill the intended learning outcomes of
the course at low levels of learning such as describe and apply but not at high levels of
learning such as evaluate and synthesize
D+, D (Pass) Evidence of basic familiarity with the subject
F (Fail) Little evidence of basic familiarity with the subject

20. Academic Conduct

The University Regulations on academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced! Please check the University
Statement on plagiarism on the web: http://www.hku.hk/plagiarism/.
Academic dishonesty is behavior in which a deliberately fraudulent mis-representation is employed in an attempt
to gain undeserved intellectual credit, either for oneself or for another. It includes, but is not necessarily limited to,
the following types of cases:
a. Plagiarism - The representation of someone else's ideas as if they are one's own. Where the arguments,
data, designs, etc., of someone else are being used in a paper, report, oral presentation, or similar academic
project, this fact must be made explicitly clear by citing the appropriate references. The references must
fully indicate the extent to which any parts of the project are not one’s own work. Paraphrasing of
someone else’s ideas is still using someone else's ideas, and must be acknowledged.
b. Unauthorized Collaboration on Out-of-Class Projects - The representation of work as solely one's own
when in fact it is the result of a joint effort. Where a candidate for a degree or other award uses the work of
another person or persons without due acknowledgement.

Penalty
1. The relevant Board of Examiners may impose a penalty in relation to the seriousness of the offence.
2. The relevant Board of Examiners may report the candidate to the Senate, where there is prima facie
evidence of an intention to deceive and where sanctions beyond those in (1) might be invoked.

6
21. Schedule of Lectures and Tutorials

Lecture Tutorial
Topic Description
(Date) (* every other week for 2 hours)
Discover art’s evolutionary and
1 “What’s the Point of the Arts
anthropological significance in
(22 Jan) and What Do the Arts Point
relation to ritual and “making
To?”
special”
(5 Feb) CLASS CANCELLED
“A Picture is Worth…”
2 Interpret from experiential and
Class link will be announced
(12 Feb) relational aesthetics to uncover
on Moodle 2 days before the
Online multileveled meanings of art
lecture
(19 Feb) CLASS CANCELLED
(26 Feb) CLASS CANCELLED
“What My Art Tells Me About
Identify how creating art about
3 You” #1. Sensory Experience: experience
someone or something facilitates
(4 Mar) Knowing Others: sensory component of the arts
empathy
Response Art
4 Analyze findings from
(11 Mar) neurobiology and neuroscience that
“Our Instinct for Dance”
READING inform how arts promotes knowing
WEEK and relationship building
5 “Alternate Dimensions and the Appreciate the function of
(18 Mar) Limitlessness of Space” museums, performance spaces and
#3.
Guest: Dr. Florian Knothe art studios for facilitating knowing
Museum:
#2. Arts and explore the
“My Art Told Me So” Recognize how art making
6 Empathy: museum
Knowing the Self: Active promotes introspection,
(25 Mar) experience how collection by
Imagination, Meditation and self-awareness and can lead to
engaging in arts creating
Contemplation personal peace
fosters empathy sketches,
Examine the place of arts and gestures, poems
“Not Factual, But Still True”
7 storytelling for conveying societal
Knowing the World: Myth and
(1 Apr) values contained in world (Do this on your
Rituals own between 18
mythologies
Survey how the arts document and Mar and 17 Apr
“Do You Hear the People and submit
express lived experiences as a
8 Sing?” questionnaire –
means to provoke introspection and will be available
(8 Apr) Knowing the World: Social
alternatives in facilitating social on Moodle after
Issues and Worldview
change Tutorial 1)
Discern how culture affects #4. Active
“A Cigar is Not Always a multiple meanings of arts and how Imagination: engage
9
Cigar” these differences can both obstruct in the process of
(15 Apr)
Knowing Others: Symbols and and facilitate cross-cultural active imagination
Cross-Cultural Implications relationships for self-realization
Comprehend the special role that
10 “Can you IMAGINE”
drama has to facilitate
(22 Apr) Knowing the Self and others
self-knowledge and knowing others

Integrate course material for how

11
“That’s a Wrap!” the arts are a way of knowing the
(29 Apr)
world, others and self
12 “Showtime” Apply course learning to student
(6 May) exhibit and performance

**All Lecture notes will be uploaded onto Moodle on or before the day of the lecture.

7
22. Course Resources

Required Reading
Mark Turner (Ed.) (2006). The Artful Mind: Cognitive Science and the Riddle of Human Creativity. New York:
Oxford University Press.
This edited book contains multi-disciplinary essays on how the arts contribute to cognition specifically and the
essence of being human generally. Students will be assigned to read the following chapters:
- Ch. 3: A Cognitive Account of Aesthetics (F. Steen)
- Ch. 7: Dynamics of Completion (S. B. Heath)

Cooper, D. E. (Ed.). (1997). Aesthetics: The Classic Readings. Oxford, UK and Malden, MA: Blackwell
Publishers.
This edited book contains key classical writings from Western, Chinese and Indian philosophers. Students will be
assigned to read the following chapters:
- Ch. 5: Shih-tao, Quotes on Painting
- Ch. 13: A. K. Coomaraswamy, The Dance of Śiva
- Ch. 14: John Dewey. Art as Experience, Chapters 1-2

Recommended Reading
Allen, Pat. B. (1995). Art is a Way of Knowing. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications.
Bast, G., Carayannis, E. G. & Campbell, D.F.J. (2014). Arts, Research, Inovation and Society. New York: Springer
Boyd, W. & Costantino, T. (2013). Aesthetics, Empathy and Education. New York: Peter Lang
Calmmer, J. (2014). Arts, Culture, and International Development: Humanizing Social Transformation. New York:
Routledge
Cooper, D. E. (Ed.). (1997). Aesthetics: The Classic Readings. Oxford, UK and Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
Foster, A.W. and J.R. Blau (Ed.)(1989). Art and Society: Readings in the sociology of the Arts. Albany, New York:
State University of New York Press.
Gombrich, E.H. (1990) 16th Edition. The Story of Art. London & New York: Phaidon Publishers.
Graham, G. (2005). Philosophy of the arts: an introduction to aesthetics (3rd ed). New York : Routledge.
Mark Turner (Ed.) (2006). The Artful Mind: Cognitive Science and the Riddle of Human Creativity. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Steinberg, D. (2006). Consciousness reconnected: Missing links between self, neuroscience, psychology and the arts.
Oxon, UK: Radcliffe Publishing.

Audio-Visual materials
Beavan, C. (Producer/Director), Belton, D. (Director), Condie, S. (Director), Hindmarch, C. (Director) & Runcie, J.
(Director). (2006). SimonSchama’s power of art [Television Broadcast]. London: BBC.
Hedgecoe, M. (Producer) & Thomas, K. (Executive Producer). (2005). How art made the world [Television
broadcast]. London: BBC.

Web-based/ICT utilities
A wide range of web-based materials will also be used. These include materials on websites of government and
non-government organizations, materials identified in search engines and so on.

8
Appendix 1: Timetable for Lectures and Tutorials for CCHU9044 Creative Arts as a Way of Knowing

Time/Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Time/Day

10:30-11:30 10:30-11:30

11:30-12:20 11:30-12:30

12:30-13:30 CCHU 9044 CCHU 9044 12:30-13:30

(Tutorial) (Tutorial)
13:30-14:20 Group 1, 4 Group 5, 8 13:30-14:30

14:30-15:30 CCHU 9044 CCHU 9044 14:30-15:30

(Tutorial) (Tutorial)
15:30-16:20 Group 2, 3 Group 6, 10 15:30-16:30

16:30-17:30 CCHU 9044 CCHU 9044 16:30-17:30

(LECT) (Tutorial)
17:30-18:20 KKL 201 Group 7, 9 17:30-18:30

Venues
Lecture: KKL 201
Tutorial: Art Studio, CBH (Sassoon Road Campus)

Tutorial Dates (with changes)

Tuesday:

Session Group 1 Tue Group 2 Tue Group 4 Tue Group 3 Tue

Group 1230-1420 1430-1620 1230-1420 1430-1620

Session 1 3 Mar 3 Mar 17 Mar 17 Mar

Session 2 24 Mar 24 Mar 31 Mar 31 Mar

Session 3 Do this on your own between 18 Mar and 17 Apr and return questionnaire

Session 4 7 Apr 7 Apr 14 Apr 14 Apr

Make up 21 Apr 21 Apr 28 Apr 28 Apr

Thursday:

Session Group 5 Thu Group 6 Thu Group 7 Thu Group 8 Thu Group 10 Thu Group 9 Thu
Group 1230-1420 1430-1620 1630-1820 1230-1420 1430-1620 1630-1820

Session 1 5 Mar 5 Mar 5 Mar 19 Mar 19 Mar 19 Mar

Session 2 26 Mar 26 Mar 26 Mar 2 Apr 2 Apr 2 Apr

Session 3 Do this on your own between 18 Mar and 17 Apr and return questionnaire

Session 4 9 Apr 9 Apr 9 Apr 16 Apr 16 Apr 16 Apr

Make up 23 Apr 23 Apr 23 Apr 7 May 7 May 7 May

Deadline of post-museum visit questionnaire: 23:59, 17 Apr, 2020. Please submit via Moodle.

Tutorial Registration
Tutorial registration period will be from January 22, 2020 (Wednesday), at 18:30 to 6 February, 2020 (Thursday),
18:30. Students may log on to Tutorial Sign-up App / Tutorial Sign-up System under eLearning Tab to register for
their preferred tutorial group. The following are the instructions:
1. There will be 10 available time slots for you to choose from, and there is a quota of 12 in each group.

9
 Please check the course outline (Appendix 1) or click into the Tutorial Sign-up App / Tutorial Sign-up
System for the full tutorial schedule.
2. You will only need to register for 1 tutorial group.
3. The registration is on a first-come-first-serve basis.
4. Before registering for the tutorial, please check the dates of the preferred group very carefully and
make sure that you can attend ALL sessions.
5. You are NOT allowed to change the group once registered.

Punctuality and Absence

As 100% attendance is required for tutorials, there will be mark penalty (25% out of tutorial participation per session)
for your absence. If you are late for more the 10 mins, you will be considered late. If you are late for class for more
than 30mins, you will also be considered absent.

Absence may only be granted upon provision of reasons and proof/evidence. Students will write a 500-word essay
based on a topic provided by their tutor to compensate for the absence. Absence without reason and/or proof/evidence
will lead to a mark penalty.

10
Tutorial Venue (T1, T2 and T4)
Address: Art Studios, Centre on Behavioural Health
2/F, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Building for Interdisciplinary Research
5 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam

Tutorial Venue for T3

Address: University Museum and Art Gallery
The University of Hong Kong
90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong

11
 Appendix 2: Course Grade Descriptors

AT 1: Attendance and active participation (20%)

Grade A Grade B Grade C Grade D Grade F

Intellectual Consistently Mostly, demonstrates Demonstrates a basic Demonstrates a basic Student does not
Contribution demonstrates a a good understanding understanding of most of understanding of some of attend tutorial. Or
(30%) thorough of, and engages the course material and the course material and if student does
understanding of, and constructively with engages with it, though engages with it. attend, he or she
engages course material. not always successfully. Occasionally makes demonstrates little
constructively with, Frequently provides Sometimes makes contributions that advance or no
all course material helpful points or asks positive contributions that group discussion. understanding of
(assigned readings, questions that advance group Contributions sometimes course material,
issues, concepts). advance and deepen discussion. add little. lacks engagement
Invariably provides group discussion. with it, or makes
insightful analyses, little or no effort to
raises critical points, contribute to
and advances and group discussion.
deepens group
discussion.

Group Participates actively Participates actively Participates most of the Participates some of the Little or no
Discussion Skills and constructively all most of the time. time but sometimes time when prompted. engagement/partic
(40%) the time. Consistently Generally appreciates requires prompting. Makes some attempt to ipation in group
appreciates others’ others’ contribution Attempt to appreciate appreciate others’ discussion even
contribution and and engages with others’ contribution and contribution and to engage with prompting.
engages with their their ideas to engage with their ideas with their ideas sensitively, Shows no
ideas sensitively. sensitively. Plays a sensitively, with some though only with limited appreciation of
Plays an active role supportive role in success. Plays a positive success. Generally, plays a others’ knowledge
in moving discussion discussion. role in discussion. passive role in discussion. and skills. Fails to
forward. engage with
others’ ideas.
Plays a passive or
negative role in
discussion.
Communication Ideas are clearly and Ideas are clearly Meaning is clear most of Meaning is clear some of Student has
of Ideas fluently articulated at articulated most of the time even though the the time. Student has serious difficulty
(30%) all times. the time, with student has some difficulty in articulating in articulating
occasional lack of difficulty in articulating ideas. ideas, and the
clarity. ideas. meaning is rarely
clear.

12
AT 3: Art Exhibit or Performance Essay (30%)

Grade A Grade B Grade C Grade D Grade F

Addressing the Identifies and Identifies and Identifies and addresses Identifies part of the main Lacks an
Task addresses clearly the addresses the main the main question(s) and question(s) and a few of understanding of
(20%) main question(s) and question(s) and most some of the subsidiary, the subsidiary, embedded what the question
the subsidiary, of the subsidiary, embedded or implicit or implicit aspects but only requires or
embedded, or embedded or implicit aspects. addresses them partially. responds
implicit aspects, aspects. inappropriately or
addressing their tangentially to the
relationships to each task or topic.
other.
Understanding, Consistent perceptive Frequent perceptive Overall, some perceptive Occasional critical No critical
Analysis, and critical and critical and critical engagement engagement with key engagement with
Synthesis, and engagement with engagement with with issues and themes, issues and themes but in issues, and themes.
Application issues and themes issues and themes; the analysis, synthesis general rarely goes beyond Essay
of Knowledge based on the analysis, and application of reproduction of relevant characterized by
(30%) comprehensive synthesis and knowledge is mostly concepts and theories, serious
understanding of application of clear and effective but the impaired in parts by inaccuracies and
relevant concepts and knowledge is essay in parts reveals considerable inaccuracies. misunderstandings.
theories; the analysis, generally clear and rather superficial
synthesis and effective but understanding of relevant
application of occasional concepts and theories.
knowledge is shortcomings in
consistently clear and understanding of
effective. relevant concepts and
theories are evident.
Argumentation Examines the Examines the Examines the Examines things from a Arguments are
(30%) question/issue/ question/issue/ question/issue/ problem single perspective. Only confused and
problem from all problem from most from some of the minimal examination of illogical. Student
important of the important important perspectives. relevant arguments and fails to present and
perspectives. Overall perspectives. Not all relevant counterarguments. defend a coherent
logic is clear. Expresses own arguments and counter Offers own position, but position. Offers
Premises or evidence position, and arguments are fully the arguments are not put own position, but
strongly support argumentative examined. Offers own forward explicitly and not arguments are
conclusions. structure is clear and position but reasoning is sufficiently supported. flawed,
Counter-evidence or logical, but some sometimes impaired by disorganized, or
rival positions arguments weak, emotive, or difficult to identify
addressed. underdeveloped or inconsistent or understand.
Arguments fit some considerations argumentation.
together and build a overlooked.
compelling case.
Structure / Introduction states Introduction states Introduction and Introduction and Introduction and
Organization clearly writer’s thesis writer’s thesis or conclusion are included conclusion are included conclusion are
(10%) or position, and position, and and generally capture the but do not adequately unclear, lack detail
conclusion clearly conclusion essence of the topic and capture the essence of the or missing
summarizes main summarizes main discussion. Evidence of topic and discussion. altogether. Very
arguments. arguments. ability to paragraph, but Ability to construct a little evidence of
Paragraphing is Paragraphing is some paragraphs lack a paragraph with a central an ability to
appropriate at all appropriate, but some central idea or supporting idea and supporting details organize the essay
times with each paragraphs lack detail is evident at times but into paragraphs
paragraph containing supporting detail or somewhat limited. with one central
a central idea which contain unrelated idea and
is developed details. supporting details.
throughout the
paragraph with
supporting details.
Mechanics The language The language is The language is mostly The language is sufficient Errors in language
(10%) contains very few, if generally accurate accurate; and errors, for arguments to be and vocabulary are
any, errors in but contains some when they occur, are understood with effort. so frequent and
grammar and systematic errors in more often in complex However, the language distracting that the
vocabulary. If slips complex grammar grammar and vocabulary. contains frequent errors in essay is largely
are present, the and vocabulary. Errors are distracting but simple and complex incomprehensible.
meaning is still clear. Conventions of the overall meaning is grammar and vocabulary Does not adhere to
Conventions of academic writing still intelligible. that are distracting. the conventions of
academic writing (e.g. citation, Conventions of academic Conventions of academic academic writing
(e.g. citation, references, footnotes, writing (e.g. citation, writing (e.g. citation, (e.g. citation,
references, footnotes, etc.) are followed references, footnotes, references, footnotes, etc.) references,
etc.) are followed apart from the etc.) are followed but at are followed but show footnotes, etc.).
meticulously. occasional oversight. times inconsistencies many inconsistencies
and/or errors occur. and/or errors.

13
AT 4: Group Creative Art Project (30%)

Grade A Grade B Grade C Grade D Grade F

Addressing the Identifies and Identifies and Identifies and addresses Identifies part of the main Lacks an
Task addresses clearly the addresses the main the main question(s) and question(s) and a few of understanding of
(20%) main question(s) and question(s) and most some of the subsidiary, subsidiary, embedded, or what the question
the subsidiary, of the subsidiary, embedded or implicit implicit aspects but only requires or
embedded, or embedded or implicit aspects. addresses them partially. responds
implicit aspects, aspects. inappropriately or
addressing their tangentially to the
relationships to each task or topic.
other.
Argumentation Examines the Examines the Examines the Examines things from a Arguments are
(15%) question/issue/ question/issue/ question/issue/ problem single perspective and with confused and
problem from all problem from most from some of the minimal examination of illogical. Student
important of the important important perspectives relevant arguments and fails to present and
perspectives. Overall perspectives but not and some relevant counterarguments. Offers defend a coherent
logic is clear. all relevant arguments and counter own position, but the position. Offers
Premises or evidence arguments and arguments are fully arguments are not put own position, but
strongly support counter arguments examined. Offers own forward with sufficient arguments are
conclusions. are fully examined. position and clarity and are not well flawed,
Counter-evidence or Expresses own argumentative structure is supported. Reasoning is disorganized, or
rival positions position, and generally clear and often impaired by weak, difficult to identify
addressed. argumentative logical but some emotive, or inconsistent or understand.
Arguments fit structure is clear and arguments argumentation.
together and build a logical, but some underdeveloped or some
compelling case. arguments considerations
underdeveloped or overlooked. Reasoning is
some considerations sometimes impaired by
overlooked. weak, emotive, or
inconsistent
argumentation.
Delivery Presenter(s) adhere Presenter(s) adhere Presenter(s) adhere more Presenter(s) may be Presenter(s) do not
(15%) strictly to time limits strictly to time limits or less to the time limits significantly off the time adhere to the time
set. Presenter(s) set. Presenter(s) set. Presenter(s) engage limits set. Presenter(s) limits set.
engage the audience engage the audience the audience most of the attempt to engage the Presenter(s) seem
at all times through through the use of time through the use of audience some of the time to make little
the skillful use of eye eye contact, gestures, eye contact, gestures, through the use of eye attempt to engage
contact, gestures, variation in voice, variation in voice, contact, gestures, variation the audience eye
variation in voice, attractive and attractive and in voice, attractive and contact, gestures,
attractive and professional looking professional looking professional looking visual variation in voice,
professional looking visual aids although visual aids although one aids but with limited attractive and
visual aids. one or two of these or two are ineffective in overall effectiveness. professional
could be done better parts of the presentation. looking visual
in places. aids. All are
ineffective
throughout the
presentation.

14