Assessment with still video.

Many art teachers view assessment with dread. Assessment often translates into trying to find one best question with one right answer. This is confusing because few people look at the world in the same way. Important questions in life are just not that easy to define and answer. Most people reply "it depends" more often than "yes" or "no." Assessment, then, takes a complicated slant in a classroom.

In art education, the people I want my students to understand are unlikely to be looking for the one right answer. The role models for my instruction are artists, art historians, art critics and philosophers. Each of these role models has her or his own way of "doing" assessment. Each is involved with particular problems and probable solutions, and each has ways of testing a solution before pronouncing it correct. I look for ways to have my students act like these role models. Sometimes, I need a quick way to find out what my students know about a topic before I add a new concept or idea. In this article, I want to describe one tool I use to assess student knowledge in my preservice classroom.

An Assessment Strategy

The still video camera proved to be an answer to an assessment strategy that did not require a huge time investment. Still video cameras have all the functions required of a camera. They automatically adjust the light, with or without flash, automatically focus and automatically advance to the next frame. The difference is that instead of producing images on a film that requires developing, the cameras produce images instantly on a video disk. The video disk can hold up to fifty images and can be erased and reused indefinitely.

In effect, the cameras record images in the same way as a video camera. This is useful in my classroom because there is no waiting for developing, no recollecting the now distant assignment and resurrecting the reasons each picture was taken. The technology behind this camera allows me and my students to know the results of their efforts instantly. In fact, the students can see the images immediately after they record them by attaching the camera to a monitor or placing the video disk in a player.

The technology is simple, easy and fun. It requires little training time. The cameras are simple to operate. To play back the images, I use one cable and any video monitor, so I don,t have to order special equipment or make special plans.

I use cameras to assess learning at all levels. I place the students in groups when they work with the cameras, which gives them the benefit of discussing their ideas with their classmates. I use the cameras to make a quick check at the beginning stages of learning a vocabulary. I use them to help students apply their knowledge and to allow them to "see" what they have learned.

Demonstrating a New Vocabulary

Early in the course, I use the cameras to assess the students, knowledge of art terms they are learning. I ask the students to use art vocabulary words to describe their own artworks and to describe artworks by artists. After we finish this, I ask the students to use the camera and find visual examples of words and concepts, such as unity, variety, symmetry, asymmetry, implied line, rhythm, repetition and emphasis. I also give them a time limit, usually twenty to thirty minutes. At the end of our allotted time, the groups return with their disks and show their images. Each group explains why it chose this image and why it is a good illustration for the term or concept.

Demonstrating Complex Ideas

As we move through the course, I ask the students to illustrate more sophisticated ideas and concepts. We study art history, aesthetics, art criticism and studio art. After an introduction, I ask the students to create images that show their understanding of what an art critic is and does. For example, what series of images would describe an aesthetician? An artist? An art historian?

Finding Real World Examples

As the students learn about art history and architectural styles, the student groups are given cameras and an hour to find examples of post and lintel construction, Roman arches, Greek influences in architecture, relief sculpture and Gothic windows. Each group keeps a log of its images. When the groups return to the classroom, they explain their choices.

Illuminating Reading Assignments

I incorporate the images with discussions of complicated readings. After we discuss an article, I ask the students to illustrate, or illuminate, what they considered to be the most important ideas. To help them with their assignment, the curator of our museum allows the students to take pictures of any work. They can make signs and images to help make their points as long as they don,t touch the artworks. To be successful, each group has to discuss the article further, make choices, take pictures, show results and explain choices.

Because I know I can use the camera to have fun with assessment, I see the task as less of a burden. The students have fun finding the right image to match their idea. I recommend this tool to anyone in a classroom who has access to a still video camera and a video monitor.

Sally A. Myers is an assistant professor of art education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.