FINEARTS 770 : Research Methodologies

Creative Arts and Industries

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A guided exploration of key research methodologies relevant to contemporary art and art writing. Students draw upon these methodologies to inform and critically investigate their current and ongoing independent research in the discipline at an advanced level.

Course Overview

The course will enable students to apply key research concepts to art. Students will explore how artistic research might best proceed in an academic context. Working within a community of practice, students will become conversant with approaches to understanding artistic research and will share this exploration in group seminar sessions. Students will learn to gather, organize, and critically discuss information, reflecting on the methods of discovery they use. They will learn to recognize the cultural positions that research methodologies occupy while considering how their practice as researchers relates to its time and place. By the course’s conclusion, students will have critically assembled and reviewed art and literature relevant to their field of inquiry and possess an understanding of how research shapes and supports artistic practice.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Master of Fine Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand advanced key theoretical and specialised concepts relevant to contemporary art and its various historical lineages (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 8)
  2. Explore a range of specialised research methodologies relevant to the written and spoken discourses that accompany the production of contemporary art (Capability 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8)
  3. Engage in rigorous intellectual analysis and criticism regarding the motives, contexts and methods of one’s practice and communicate these in written and verbal forms (Capability 4, 7 and 8)
  4. Develop advanced skills related to framing ideas in a generative and open way and to apply these to an exegetical and critical discussion of the studio project (Capability 1, 3 and 7)
  5. Acknowledge the implications of Tikanga Maori values for creative practice within an academic context (Capability 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Seminar Presentation 30% Individual Coursework
Literature review 35% Individual Coursework
Research Proposal 35% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
Seminar Presentation
Literature review
Research Proposal

Teaching & Learning Methods

The exploration of research concepts will be informed by their engagement with the student seminar series, lecturer-led presentations, shared and assigned readings, and formative discussions of students’ coursework. Students will be introduced to key terms and provided with examples of writing that represent a range of approaches and practices. They will be expected to describe their interests as researching artists by presenting to their peers in a seminar context. They will then develop a research proposal relevant to their own practice. Lastly, each student will complete a literature review that surveys the literature relevant to their activities as artists. Students will receive formal feedback through formative and summative assessments of each piece of coursework.

Each stage of the course produces an assessment outcome, taken together these intend to provide a basis for academic study at a postgraduate level and to support exploratory research useful to the student’s developing studio project

1. In their seminar presentation students will articulate their initial understanding of the effect and purpose research has within their practice. They will use a method of presentation appropriate to their sense of position as an artist.

2. The student’s consideration of the problems of artistic research will be refined in their written research proposal. The proposal will be assessed according to how it synthesizes and identifies relevant material and how it demonstrates an understanding of methodologies and their context.
3. The literature review then provides a platform and resource for future study.



 

Exam Mode


  • There is no final exam for this course

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course, and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in. Each week includes 1.5 hours of teaching contact and 8.5 hours of independent study time. For this course, you can expect 18 hours of contact/class time, 102 hours of self-directed study working on assignments and 30 hours of preparatory reading/research.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities.

This course is primarily a seminar and discussion-based course. The small number of lectures which occur will not be available as recordings. Lecturer notes will, however, be provided via Canvas. All material related to assessable outcomes and in-class discussion and earning will be available through canvas.

The course will not include live online events.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Library Reading lists(Tallis ) Provided.
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists.
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the lecturer.

Health & Safety

Please refer to the ‘Elam School of Fine Arts Health, Safety and Wellbeing Guidelines’ document available on the course Canvas page.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

The course delivery is modified in response to enrollment so that it is responsive to the scale of student-led activities ( 2024- 2025)

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Students should not present work produced by generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, DALL.E 2) for assessments without the approval of the Course Director. Where AI tools have been approved for use students must follow the instructions given.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Effective representation of issues can be made either via a class representative or through the postgraduate student representative to the Elam Staff Student Consultative Committee - This committee meets twice each semester to raise and resolve issues of concern to students and is also tasked with representing the needs of Elam students to the Faculty level Student Committee. Students are also encouraged to provide feedback directly to the course lecturer should they feel comfortable doing so. 

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Requests for extensions of time must be submitted and approved using the online Extension of Time Application form available on Canvas. Students should notify the Course Director/Course Coordinator of their situation as soon as practicable, and preferably before any due date. Notifications received after an assessment due date will be accepted, where this is reasonable, within the context of the course. If possible, students are encouraged to seek medical, counseling or other support from the most appropriate sources.

Learning Continuity

We undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions, the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. In the event of a disruption, the University and your course coordinators will make every effort to provide you with up to date information via Canvas and the University website.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 31/10/2024 04:19 p.m.