Art History is a perfect subject for a project-approach to learning

by Dr. John Taylor

Chair of Examiners for Pearson Project Qualifications and Director of Learning, Teaching & Innovation at Cranleigh School.

‍

A course in the history of art offers young people a chance to open the door to a new way of seeing the world. The subject is full of richness and fascination. It offers students a chance to see beneath the surface and discover things of lasting value in the artworks that form such a treasured part of our cultural heritage.

This journey of discovery can become more focussed and personally meaningful if students have an opportunity to respond to what they discover through working on a Higher Project Qualification (HPQ). The HPQ is a smaller version of the better-known EPQ, which has established itself as a valuable complement to other Level 3 courses, typically studied by sixth form students. But the basic pattern and process of learning that is implicit within the EPQ is not confined to older students. The HPQ, typically studied alongside GCSEs, provides a helpful stepping stone into the world of project-based learning.

The key to a successful project is an engaging, open-ended question or practical challenge. The best projects have a genuinely interesting issue at their heart, one that captures the student’s imagination and draws them into a process of research. Along the way, they establish a clear focus but find that their question opens out into exploration of a range of alternative possible answers. This openness calls for them to begin thinking critically, evaluating the strengths of alternative ideas and creating their own response.

Two features of the HPQ make it especially apt as a vehicle for going on a journey into the art historical world. Firstly, HPQ encourages learners to explore across conventional subject boundaries. A study may begin with a focus on the history of a particular work of art, but it can open out into wider exploration of materials, techniques and processes, or even further into philosophical questions about the nature of art and its place in human life. There are no boundaries in the world of project work.

The other feature of the project qualifications is that they are, to use a piece of contemporary jargon, ‘multimodal’ in the range of permissible assessed outcomes. A learner may wish to sharpen their academic skills through writing a dissertation, learning the conventions of academic writing and rigorous, logical expression of arguments, or they may wish to develop their skills by pursuing a creative practical response, whether in the form of making their own artwork, planning and creating an exhibition, filming a documentary or carrying out a performance in which they express their ideas dramatically.

We hear much about the importance of promoting creativity, oracy and critical thinking skills and it seems that some of these priorities are likely to be highlighted as part of the recently launched review of curriculum and assessment. The good news, for students and teachers of art history, is that we do not need to wait for that review to produce its recommendations. HPQ offers a pathway to a rich, rigorous and rewarding programme of creative learning that is available right now.

‍