IWB Content guidelines

· The content of the investigation workbooks can vary considerably, but must show evidence of investigation into artistic qualities and cultural contexts from different cultures and times. (A culture can be described as learned and shared beliefs, values, interests, attitudes, products or patterns of behavior. Culture is dynamic and organic and operates on many levels—international, national, regional, local and social interest groups.) A developing use of the specialist vocabulary of visual arts is expected.

· Workbooks are working journals that should reflect personal approaches, styles and interests. They are not simply scrapbooks, sketchbooks or diaries but may be a combination of all three. They may contain weak initial ideas and false starts, but these should not be seen as mistakes and can be used as a means of identifying a student’s progress over the course.

· While the teacher is expected to guide and support the students, workbooks should reflect students’ personal interests. Students should be encouraged to investigate “around” ideas, themes and issues, make links and connections, speculate, hypothesize and draw conclusions that may support or challenge artistic conventions. The work should be presented in a way that is appropriate to visual arts, rather than as isolated ideas or formal essays.

· Information may be recorded in a variety of ways. This is a good opportunity for visual experimentation, and may be both critical and creative. Written work must be legible and all sources, both written and visual, must always be acknowledged properly.

· Meetings with local artists, and visits to museums, galleries and libraries, provide first-hand opportunities for investigation. Students’ personal responses to these visits should be documented in the workbooks and may well influence some of the studio work they produce.

· Class notes and handouts should only be included in the workbooks if appropriate. Visual material should be relevant to the investigation and not simply used to fill space. Photographs, copies and magazine cut-outs are acceptable if they are relevant to the investigation, are accompanied by an explanation or critical comment and are acknowledged properly. Copying from Internet sites, books and other secondary sources without personal and critical reflection should be avoided.

Format

· Entries must be dated and kept in chronological order. Pages must be numbered for cross-referencing ideas, themes or issues that run through the investigation workbooks. (Care should also be taken to leave the top right-hand corner of each page free, in order to allow the candidate session number to be included.)

· Students should be advised that legibility is extremely important. Blue-black or black ink is recommended for writing.