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Julie Barrett Cycles and Epicycles Requirements and Inquiry at Mass. College of Art

In Progress PowerPoint Final: Assignment 7. Narrative outline This is an outline or plan of your report with explanatory sentences inserted at key places: i) to explain in a declarative style the point of each section; ii) to explain how each section links to the previous one and/or to the larger section or the whole report it’s part of. The object of doing a narrative outline is to move you beyond the preliminary thinking that goes into a standard outline or even a nested and connected table of contents. Insertion of explanatory sentences helps you check that your ideas and material really will fit your outline..

I. Section 1:Outline Major Cycles

A. Staff intern Fall 06 a. I originally though the problem was an unclear presentation of requirements to faculty and students b. Through further ACTION research, I realized it is a multi-faceted problem. c. The requirements and state funded tuition & facilities while keeping to faculty state contracts and work/hour restrictions for students is immense. There should be no surprise that this is complicated to boil down into a single sheet. d. I stated my understanding the questions, the issues students come to Advising office for help understanding. I spent half time fall term meeting with students and discussing issues with advisors and Director of advising. This brought some, but limited clarity. The Advising Office can only explain what the requirements are as set by curriculum. So I moved on to asking questions of those who set the curriculum.

B. Curriculum Migration Fall 06 – now

a. I’m on the Curriculum Migration Committee. This committee was changed with reviewing and analysis of moving an already restricted schedule into a new set of contact hour requirements. They must consider faculty work load, time to conduct their own art-working and protect the students’ ability to schedule enough credits in order to achieve their major and degree requirements in an appropriate time line.

C. Student Typography Project Spring 07

a. I looked for student input by working with Faculty Professor Joseph Quackenbush. His sophomore Typography 2 course took on re-designing the Degree Tally Sheet as an Information Architecture and Problem Based Learning Assignment.

II. Section 2: EpiCycles I: Student

A. Information Design Project a. Each student took their own tally sheet and re-organized it and explained to me what problems and complications they ran into while doing it. Each student had a unique set of problems; work needs, personal issues, transfer credits, double major constraints. While we did look at students that were all graphic design studies, they had a good cross section of “typical” problems.

B. Student problem identification

a. Students were surprisingly carefully to make links between requirements and life scheduling constraints. They pointed out difficulties with not having any open elective opportunities in the freshman experience. There is one open section per term, all students try to get the popular classes: welding, glass blowing, photography. There is basic lottery who gets a chance to experience that. With out exposure to many media, students can’t know what area they might really enjoy or think they might enjoy that might actually not be right for them.

C. Student perspective based approaches a. Prof. Joe Quackenbush i. Invested Faculty ii. Graphic Designer D. Typography II Sophomore i. Information Architecture ii. Visual Communication Asgmnt E. 2 month work Faculty and students a. define problems, re-design b. Discuss client issue, c. business implications

F. Invited Constituency to Final Presentations a. Advising Director, b. Faculty c. Director of Advising and Academic VP

V. Section 3. Students’ Contribution

A. Student Evaluation of Assignment and Practice: a. Excited about Problem Based Learning

b. Enjoyed contributing to solving real problem

c. Allows for measurable success, feedback

d. Intelligent Problem Definition! e. It is not only the form- confusion exists deep into this problem/question

B. Each student presentation served as epicycle a. Involving survey of 20 new minds, new approach and each perspective on the situation allows us to know the problems and needs more globally and with greater 360 evaluation. The broadened the understanding and impact on the student and allows the faculty and administrators to better know wha the end result, students see how well the current curriculum is serving them.

C. Re-defined problem in specific combinations a. Each voice brings to the table a different history and open forum to ask new strains of question and pieces to be considered. Each voice weigh the balance to one side or another. We discussed the T model of learning in Migration committee. The faculty feel its hugely important for students to have as much b=depth as possible with in their own major. Students feel the need for greater cross curricular exposure, more lective and open learning space. There were great points made that a double major is hugely important and should be STONGLY valued sna d supported, instead of making it impossible for a student to accomplish a double major with in any reasonable time frame.

D. Open discussion a. This assignment allowed for a dialogue among students, the academic VP, Advising Director, Faculty and Staff. We worked together to gain fuller perspective and open interpretation of problem definition.

VI. Ideas for Tally

A. Use Color to Clarify

B. Use Tufte to Simplify

C. Graph & Grid to Identify

D. Outline Thought Process & Problem Solving

V. EpiCycles II:

A. Departmental requirements

B. Hogging the board

C. Depth of preparation

D. Constraints 1. Depth of department

2. Breadth of exposure

3. Time, space, scheduling restrictions A.132 to 120 credits, more preparedness B.What to require, what to sacrifice 4. Example state budget too thin v. important cause

E. Timing & Free Elective F. Students and Faculty united complaint: 5. First year single elective G. Doesn’t allow for exploratory major find H. If students choose wrong major 1 yr behind

I. No flexibility to switch 6.Often stick in wrong major v. choice of wasting whole year J. Uphill Battle d. Recipe for perfection e. Disaster, not success f. must pass 15 credits every term g. single incomplete or failure = 18cr next term i. When you can’t manage 15, how to do 18? ii. What standards are held for no room for error?

H. 5.5 years h. Currently its taking students 5.5 years to graduate i. Accessibility mission v. preparedness or workforce j. Double major Change of major can take 7.5 years

IV. Next Steps E. Curriculum Migration Committee problem of requirement, electives & majors

F. Action Research is now open, on the table and agenda for student, faculty and staff

G. MCA Recognition of HOW we ask questions, how w solve problem who involved, my place on Migration committee to discuss if we are asking the right way- who, when- reflection, cycle, epicycle.

H. Result: Migration Team now using Action Research. Joining constituency, building integrated constituency